PS5 Controller Design Possibly Revealed By A Patent

Update: In April 2020, Sony finally revealed the PlayStation DualSense, the brand new controller that will ship with the PS5 this holiday season. The new DualSense controller boasts a brand new form factor compared to previous DualShock controllers, a built-in mic, a rechargeable battery, and a mysterious new Create button in place of the Share button.

Original story follows...

The PlayStation 5 is coming, with the next-generation Sony console set for a Holiday 2020 release date. Sony has been sharing details throughout the year, including an overview of some of what we can expect from the PS5 controller. It's not ready to announce its name as the DualShock 5, nor has it shown us what it will actually look like, but a new patent for the PS5 controller has appeared on the website for the Japanese patent office, and it's giving us a glimpse of what we might be able to expect. At first glance, it looks very much like the DualShock 4, but there are some key changes that could be made, if this patent proves to be accurate.

As VGC notes, the images in the patent point towards a few changes, such as smaller sticks, larger triggers, a USB-C charging port, and--perhaps notably--no light bar, one of the major additions to the DualShock 4. While this is by no means the definitive final version of the PlayStation 5 controller (the infamous PlayStation 3 "boomerang" controller was abandoned before the system's launch), it's possible that at least some of these changes will appear in the final design. The touchpad remains in place, and the general shape appears very similar to the DualShock 4.

Sony has previously discussed their new controller, revealing that haptics will replace the standard rumble, allowing for a "broader range of feedback" that will allow for a more nuanced approach to how the controller vibrates (much like the Switch's "HD Rumble"). The L2/R2 triggers on the PS4 controller will be replaced with adaptive triggers, so developers can program for added resistance--the R2 button might be harder to press if a character is pushing something heavy, for instance, or you might feel resistance when pulling back the string on a bow. The controller is reportedly being developed to give players a stronger sense of place within their environments, and to give developers new options in the experiences they can replicate.

We also know that the PlayStation 5 will still require games to be installed from discs, and that Sony is hoping that the system will be adopted by players quickly. We're also starting to see games announced for it, including numerous Ubisoft titles and Path of Exile 2.