Highlights
- Sony has filed a patent for a new PS5 controller with slots to store and charge wireless earbuds.
- The patent shows different positions for the earbud slots on the DualSense controller, indicating that the design may not yet be finalized.
- While it is unclear if Sony is actively working on this technology, recent patents and upcoming releases suggest that a new DualSense controller announcement could be on the horizon.
Sony has filed a patent for a new PS5 controller with a pair of slots to store earbuds inside. The slots won't just serve as storage though, with users also able to pair and charge their wireless buds with the help of this new pad. The patent includes images showing the slots in several different positions on the DualSense including one beneath the touchpad, suggesting that the exact configuration of this new PlayStation 5 controller had still not been finalized at the time the patent was filed.
The news comes just days after Sony announced the InZone Buds; a gaming-focused pair of wireless earbuds with 360 spatial audio capabilities and a hefty $200 price tag. These aren't the only pair of wireless earphones that the tech giant will be releasing over the next few months either, with the Pulse Explore earbuds having been unveiled alongside the soon-to-be-released PlayStation Portal in a PlayStation blog post back in August.
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With two pairs of wireless earbuds in the works, it's easy to see why Sony might be looking at ways to integrate these upcoming audio offerings into the current PlayStation ecosystem. However, whether or not there'll be much demand for a controller designed around storing and charging wireless earbuds remains to be seen, particularly with both the Pulse Explore and the InZone Buds coming with their own charging cases and the battery life of the current DualSense model already being an issue for some players.
It's also worth noting that just because Sony has patented a new PS5 controller with slots for earbud storage, that doesn't necessarily mean that the company is actively working on one. After all, companies like Sony often file patents for technology that never sees the light of day just to prevent their competitors from using it. However, given the impending release of the Pulse Explore and InZone Buds, it wouldn't come as too much of a surprise if a new DualSense controller ended up being announced soon.
This isn't the only controller-related patent that Sony has filed recently. Far from it, in fact. Last month, a patent appearing to show an attachable touchscreen for the DualSense was made public, while patents relating to the PS5's Access Controller began appearing online just a few days before the pad was formally unveiled by Sony. With this in mind, it's possible that this new PS5 pad could end up being announced sooner rather than later, although the chances of it arriving alongside the Pulse Explore or the InZone Buds seem fairly slim.
