Sony patents controller buttons that change hardness and resistance in real time

Sony patents a controller with buttons that change hardness using magneto-viscoelastic elastomer.

new Sony controller patent unearthed​ 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... Read more

As we creep closer to another generation of PlayStation consoles, Sony is exploring potential additions to its controllers that could set it apart in a similar way to the DualSense with the PlayStation 5. According to a new patent, that could include buttons that harden, or soften, according to what is happening on screen. The patent application, which was filed in November 2024 with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and published in May earlier this year (and found by Cheat Happens), details several different ways that buttons on a controller can have their physical properties changed. In one, the controller makes use a magneto-viscoelastic elastomer that alters how much force is required to push a button based on surrounding magnets. Another approach includes utilising fluid-filled membranes for the same effect, but you can probably imagine why this might not be a great idea for a controller's longevity. One design showing a button harden around a player's finger. The patent goes on to describe an alternative button effect where a player's finger can sink into it, before it hardens up around the finger afterwards. This is probably the strangest of the solutions, but could be used to simulate several scenarios where your character is stuck and requires more force to move or release. Whether you want your controller biting you is entirely subjective, however. Experiments like these are what ultimately led to the current DualSense controller, which makes good use of adaptive triggers to simulate various context-sensitive actions, such as alternative fire modes in Saros or the tension of a web swing in Spider-Man 2. With Sony expected to release a new PlayStation in either 2028 or 2029, patents such as these could give an indication of what might be included in the eventual DualSense successor. But, like several patents before it, its filing does not in any way mean that Sony will follow through with its designs.

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. Read more