While Sony’s DualSense controller has interesting tech used for its adaptive triggers, it looks like the company might want to apply similar ideas to its future controllers’ face buttons as well. As caught by Cheat Happens, a new patent filed by Sony has been discovered, which describes technology that can alter the hardness of buttons in real-time. Depending on what might be happening in gameplay, these buttons could soften or harden, giving users more tactile feedback.
The patent describes accomplishing this through the use of magnetoviscoelastic elastomer in the construction of the buttons. Fluid-filled membranes are also being explored to accomplish a similar effect.
Throughout the patent filing, Sony describes many potential applications of these kinds of buttons. One example provided was of a “finger grab” effect, where a button would get soft enough to let a player’s finger sink in before then hardening, “grabbing” the finger in place. In this example, the technology would mimic an in-game incident of the player being grabbed. More examples described giving players softer buttons while they explore a swamp, or harder buttons when climbing a mountain.
Interestingly, Sony has also noted potential accessibility-centric uses for the technology as well, with it being adapted for use for body parts other than fingers, like palms, elbows, or other external objects.
It is worth noting that, before analogue trigger buttons became the norm on consoles starting with the Nintendo GameCube, and then extending into the Xbox 360 and PS3 era, face buttons on controllers were often pressure-sensitive. In a game like Gran Turismo 4, for example, players could get finer control over their vehicle’s acceleration by controlling how hard they pressed the X key – the default button for acceleration.
Similarly, the original PS2 release of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater also made use of the analogue face buttons in its CQC. On softly pressing and holding down O, Snake could grab a wandering guard to interrogate them. Pushing down harder on the button would result in Snake slitting the guard’s throat.
In the meantime, Sony has been filing a variety of patents to explore future technology. For an example of more controller-centric patents, a filing from 2023 indicated that the company was exploring how the DualSense could be used to provide greater accessibility to players by employing machine learning to figure out how a player typically plays. The controller could then provide hints by dynamically lighting up what keys the should be pressed next to succeed at a given challenge.
The company has also been looking into the use of AI to assist players that are having a hard time with a game. A patent filing from back in January described the use of an AI-generated Ghost Player that could guide players through challenging parts of games. This system was also described as being quite customizable, giving players more fine-tuned options for how often such a Ghost Player would pop up, and how helpful it would be.
As is the case with any patent filing, however, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we will see these technologies hit the market. Companies often file patents as part of their typical R&D efforts to look into future technology. Short of Sony making an official announcement, we shouldn’t expect a DualSense controller with buttons that can soften or harden on demand to come out any time soon.
