PlayStation Touchscreen Controller Patent Filed Reportedly for PS5

Next generation talk continues to be a hot topic with even publishers themselves discussing what's next on the gaming horizon. With both the PlayStation 5 and the codenamed Xbox Scarlet looming closer and closer, the team over at Sony seem very keen to get this particular ball rolling - namely with a fresh patent revealing plans for a contoller with touchscreen capabilities.

The patent itself was filed on October 16th but only recently became available to the public. The controller itself sounds very similar to the already familiar DualShock, but with one noticeable addition: A touchscreen pad.

According to the patent:

"A controller for interfacing wirelessly with a computing device is provided, including the following: a housing defined by a main body, a first extension extending from a first end of the main body, and a second extension extending from a second end of the main body, the first extension and the second extension for holding by a first hand and a second hand of a user, respectively; a touchscreen defined along the top surface of the main body between the first extension and the second extension; a first set of buttons disposed on the top surface of the main body proximate to the first extension and on a first side of the touchscreen; and a second set of buttons disposed on the top surface of the main body proximate to the second extension and on a second side of the touchscreen."

Where players will see the trackpad on the current controllers, that is where the potential touchscreen will be located. This feature has been used in mock-ups, fan creations, and more throughout the years and though Nintendo's Wii-U system as a whole flopped - the touchscreen capability was a huge hit.

One important thing to note is that though this patent was filed, that doesn't mean we will necessarily see it in the final product. It's not uncommon for companies to "cover their bases" by filing numerous patents for many of the high-tiered ideas, only to be later scrapped when it came down to the final push.

Still, the touchscreen design does sound appealing and it will be interesting to see what comes next from the team over at Sony.