Sony patents game testing method that breaks timing to find bugs

1. A device comprising: a memory storing an operating system (OS); and one or more processors configured to access the memory and execute the OS to operate the device to perform operations comprising selectively executing a plurality of tasks of an application in a timing testing mode or in a mode of operation other than the timing testing mode, wherein: the mode of operation other than the timing testing mode includes a normal operation of the device; in the normal operation of the device, the operations comprise: executing a first task of the plurality of tasks to generate a first data; and executing a second task of the plurality of tasks using the first data, wherein initiating execution of the second task requires the first data; and in the timing testing mode, normal operation of the device is suspended and the operations comprise inducing skew by shifting an execution timing of the second task as the application is executed on the one or more processors such that one or more errors are exposed during execution of the second task that would otherwise be missed in the normal operation of the device, wherein shifting the execution timing of the second task includes: executing the first task to generate the first data; initiating execution of the second task prior to completion of the first task and without the first data that is required to initiate the execution of the second task; and the OS configuring one or more graphics processing unit (GPU) subunits of a GPU to run at a different frequency than a standard operating frequency.