Sony has secured a U.S. patent for a PlayStation controller that replaces physical buttons with a customizable touchscreen interface, allowing players to rearrange, resize, or remove controls based on their preferences. Filed way back in February 2023 and issued just last week, the patent describes a controller with a large touchscreen covering most of its top surface, where traditional inputs would normally sit.
The design lets players configure D-pad, analog stick, and button positions to suit individual hand sizes, accessibility needs, or specific game requirements. According to the patent description, users could simplify layouts for games with minimal inputs, creating a single large jump button for platformers, for example, or enlarge essential controls while removing unused ones.
Sony’s patent argues that conventional controllers maintain fixed layouts that don’t accommodate all players without costly custom manufacturing. “A fixed layout may be too small, or too large, for a user,” the description reads, noting that manufacturers typically don’t vary controller size to reduce costs. The touchscreen approach would theoretically allow one controller to serve multiple use cases without requiring different physical models.
The controller incorporates pressure and heat sensors to “detect condition of the input surface,” which could help distinguish between intentional inputs and incidental contact, like the palm of your hand resting on the face of the controller.
As with most hardware patents, approval doesn’t guarantee the concept will reach production. Sony already manufactures the Access Controller for players requiring specialized inputs, making the commercial viability of a touchscreen-based alternative unclear.
Source: Video Games Chronicle
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