new Sony controller patent unearthed
Sony has patented a controller with buttons that harden when you play with it
Sony Interactive Entertainment has published an intriguing patent for a new type of controller whose buttons can alter their resistance and tactile feel - becoming harder or softer - to adapt to what's being shown on screen. Sony initially filed the patent application with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations' patents agency, in November 2024. It
was officially published in May this year, as uncovered by
Cheat Happens.
According to the patent, the controller would adapt - either based on gameplay or personal preferences - by changing the hardness and resistance of the underlying mechanisms that respond to each button press. This is achieved using a magneto-viscoelastic elastomer, a material capable of hardening and softening based on inputs from attached magnets.
Said magnets can be controlled by the game, creating a magnetic field that varies in strength based on the action on screen. Sony's designs also indicate potentially utilising fluid-filled membranes to achieve a similar effect.
Elsewhere in the patent, there's a look at a different design that allows the player's finger to "sink" into the button itself, and for the button to harden around it. This could perhaps be used to simulate being grabbed by an enemy, or getting stuck in mud, though the usage isn't entirely clear from the language.
https://www.eurogamer.net/sony-controller-soft-hard-buttons-patent
