Highlights

  • Sony is seemingly developing a new version of the DualSense controller that can provide gameplay action hints by lighting up its buttons, shoulder triggers, and analog sticks, according to a newly emerged patent.
  • The experimental gamepad would feature a touchscreen instead of a touchpad, which would also be used for spelling out control hints in conjunction with the button lights.
  • The patent itself does not guarantee that the technology it describes will be commercialized, but it does indicate that Sony is interested in making PlayStation gaming more accessible.

Sony is possibly developing a new version of the DualSense controller that would be capable of providing gameplay action hints by selectively lighting up its button faces, as revealed by some newly emerged patent documentation. While there's no guarantee this solution will ever be commercialized, the underlying technology does promise to make PlayStation gaming more accessible should it ever reach the market.

Released in late 2020 alongside the PlayStation 5, the DualSense offered a number of notable improvements compared to its DualShock 4 predecessor that debuted with the PS4. Among other things, the current-generation controller introduced haptic feedback support and adaptive triggers, in addition to replacing DualShock 4's microUSB port with a USB-C one.

ps5 console and controller feature
Related
Sony Patents Spherical Controller

Sony files a pair of brand new patents for a spherical PlayStation 5 controller that could add another level of immersion to VR gaming.

A newly emerged controller patent from Sony reveals that the gaming giant has recently been experimenting with a refined version of the DualSense gamepad that is capable of offering gameplay action hints by lighting up its button faces. The patent, secured on November 30, describes a predictive assistance solution that leverages a machine learning model in order to continuously monitor the player's performance and determine when they might be in need of some help. Should it decide that the player is (about to be) stuck, the experimental system would draw their attention to the controller itself by lighting up its buttons, thus suggesting the next course of action.

Sony's Controller Patent With Predictive AI Assistance Features

Sony PlayStation DualSense v2 Figure 6 Assistance Input Data drawing illustration

The button hints would also be spelled out on the controller's touchpad, which would actually double as a display. This is not the first patent indicating that the DualSense 2 might feature a touchscreen instead of a touchpad, as another such IP filing emerged online back in September. As for the concept at hand, the controller that it describes wouldn't just be capable of lighting up its buttons, including its shoulder triggers, but also both of its analog sticks.

Dynamic Button Lights Aren’t an Unprecedented Idea in Gaming

Although the AI-powered mechanism that would determine when to utilize this hardware capability is a relative novelty, the idea of lighting up buttons in order to facilitate accessibility is far from unprecedented. For example, every modern Razer gaming keyboard ships with support for Razer Chroma Profiles, allowing both developers and players alike to put together unique color patterns that highlight mapped controls on a per-game basis.

The sole existence of this patent is far from a guarantee that the technology it describes will ever see the light of day. That's doubly so given how the newly surfaced filing comes from Sony, one of the most prolific consumer electronics pioneers on the planet; according to a recent Statista study, Sony submitted almost 1,400 patents in 2022 alone, most of which aren't expected to be commercialized anytime soon, if ever.