The gaming industry kicked off 2026 with a heavy patent push, but not in the direction most players might expect. According to a new analysis by Future of Gaming, 133 combined patent filings and grants were recorded at the USPTO in January, with the vast majority targeting backend infrastructure, hardware comfort, and cross-platform accessibility rather than anything players would notice on-screen.
The data breaks down into 95 new patent applications filed and 38 patents officially granted. A total of 38 companies were involved on the filing side alone, led by Sony with 27 filings, Nintendo with 12, and Tencent with 7. On the grants side, Sony again led with 9, followed by Nintendo and Tencent with 3 and 2 respectively.
AI Is Running the Show Behind the Scenes
AI and machine learning patents accounted for the single largest technology category in both filings and grants. On the filing side, 19 patents covered everything from generative AI content tools to NPC behavior systems. Sony submitted patents for AI-voiced podcasts narrated by game characters and virtual assistants that offer real-time strategy advice during gameplay. Tencent and AMD filed patents using reinforcement learning to make enemy NPCs act less predictably.
On the grants side, 12 AI patents were approved. Sony received grants for contextual input recognition systems that analyze game state to determine when gesture and voice commands should register, solving the common problem of unintended inputs. ByteDance earned a patent for skill-based team clustering before matchmaking, and Cygames got one for detecting card game bugs by comparing irregular gameplay patterns against normal sessions.
Tencent contributed 9 combined patents across both reports, covering cloud gaming optimization, adaptive NPC behavior, and dynamic server management. One of their more notable filings involves systems that automatically adjust server tick rates based on battle intensity, scaling infrastructure costs in real time.
Hardware Patents Focus on Comfort, Not Power
Hardware claimed 23 filed patents in January, the largest single category. The trend here is clear: companies are investing in making controllers more comfortable for long sessions rather than more powerful. Nintendo patented unibody controller housings that eliminate uncomfortable seams, while other companies filed for adjustable buttons and interchangeable joystick components designed to cut replacement costs when individual parts wear out.
On the grants side, Sony received a patent for flat controllers with customizable button layouts using conductive ink. Wi-Charge patented a wireless laser charging system that tracks controller movement during gameplay, eliminating the need to plug in mid-session.
Cross-Platform and Cloud Gaming Take Priority
Cross-platform technologies dominated the platform distribution, with 41 filed patents and 15 granted patents. Microsoft filed for proximity-based profile transfers using smartphone authentication. Valve patented an instant-play system that downloads only essential game files while streaming the rest, directly addressing the frustration of multi-hour downloads before a game becomes playable.
Cloud gaming accounted for 11 filed patents. Huawei developed a selective rendering offload system that sends only complex visual effects to cloud servers rather than entire video feeds, cutting bandwidth costs. Google earned a granted patent for pre-fetching level assets across distributed servers to eliminate loading screens entirely.
What This Means for the Industry
The January data reinforces a pattern that has been building throughout 2025. In Q4 2025, Future of Gaming tracked 184 filings and 154 grants, with AI, hardware, and cross-platform technologies consistently topping the charts. Sony, Nintendo, and Tencent have remained the most active filers across multiple quarters.
EA has also been carving out its own space in the patent landscape through its Accessibility Patent Pledge, which hit 46 royalty-free patents in December 2025. The pledge makes accessibility-focused technologies available to the entire industry at no cost, covering everything from photosensitivity analysis to speech recognition for players with disabilities.
The broader takeaway is straightforward. Gaming’s biggest companies are not competing over who can patent the most inventive gameplay mechanic. They are competing over who can build the smoothest, most comfortable, and most accessible infrastructure to keep players in the game longer. The competitive edge is shifting from what games look like to how little friction there is in accessing and staying inside them.
