New PlayStation Patent Could Be Problematic for PS5

A new patent from Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed a possibly problematic PS5 feature. [...]

By Tyler Fischer

A new patent from Sony Interactive Entertainment has revealed a possibly problematic PS5 feature. For the PS5, Sony created a new evolution of the DualShock controller it's calling the DualSense, which comes with brand new, state-of-the-art features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. It was believed we knew everything there was to know about the PS5 controller, but it looks like it may -- emphasis on may -- have another feature Sony hasn't revealed yet.

PlayStation makers Sony recently filed for a new patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office dealing with controller low battery. Like every patent, this one is full of technical jargon, however, what it reveals is a technology that would give players a notification and quick option to switch to a second controller when their current controller is about to die.

How it would presumably work is the PS5 would send players a warning that their current controller is about to die, and included with this warning would be an option to switch to the second controller synced to the console. This would allow for a more seamless transition.

What's problematic about this? Well, nothing if it's done right, but if not done properly it could be quite burdensome. The key would be how the alert is conveyed. Is the warning a tiny little display in the bottom corner of the screen, or is it larger and flash across the majority of the screen? Further, does it require a response, or does it go away on its own? Meanwhile, does it force a game to pause?

Unfortunately, the patent doesn't reveal these finer specifics. Again, if done right, this will be a great and convenient feature, but if not realized properly, it could be very annoying, especially whilst playing multiplayer games. Of course, this is assuming it wouldn't be able to be turned off. If you can toggle the feature on and off, then all of this worry will be for nothing.

That said, we are also getting ahead of ourselves. For now, there's no confirmation the PS5 will have a feature like this. A company like Sony files patents all the time, many of which never graduate past the conceptual stage.

At the moment of publishing, Sony has not commented on the patent and the speculation surrounding it, and it's unlikely it will, as it traditionally does not comment on anything related to patents.

The PS5 is set to release worldwide on November 12, priced at $500 or $400, depending on what version of the console you cop.

H/T, Respawn First.

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