SweetieGames

In late January, an interesting patent surfaced in the US from Sony, which is widely believed to be for the (most likely) upcoming PlayStation 6. A normal shaped controller that has no buttons, D-Pad or joysticks; replacing every single one with a touchscreen surface.

The idea behind the patent seems to be allowing the player to set up their controller to their needs, depending on accessibility or even the game that they’re playing. You could have a completely different controller layout which you switch out by game or by user. Very interesting, but do players want it?

From an accessibility standpoint, this idea seems good on paper. You can position the buttons anywhere, allowing for people to put buttons or sticks in a way that is comfortable and accessible to them. However, there are plenty of accessible gaming peripherals on the market, and a touchscreen actually hinders accessibility for some people. If you have issues with your vision, how is a touchscreen controller going to help you? Isn’t it going to make it harder to control the game?

I feel like if I were to have a touchscreen controller, I would be accidentally pressing buttons all the time! And the removal of even the trigger buttons and shoulder buttons on the back implies that this controller is going to be pretty thin, and therefore uncomfortable to hold. You’ve got to position your thumbs so you’re not pressing anything, but it’s also a flatter surface so there’s not much to grip. Sounds frustrating.

I also think that this could be an excuse to sell “old fashioned” controllers with buttons separately, meaning those who find them more accessible or easier to use will have to pay extra to be able to play games the way they want to. In a world where PC gaming is bigger than ever, and everyone is discussing the slow downfall of consoles, is now the time to potentially implement a change that nobody asked for and not many people want?

I will be interested to see where this patent goes from here; it may be an upcoming peripheral for the PS5, but it’s unlikely. I just hope that Sony listens to what the players want for their next console. I have a feeling I would be fully converting to PC gaming if I see an upcharge for a controller that has actual buttons.