Back buttons could be coming to the next-gen PS5 DualShock controller
Another patent appears
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There’s more news on the upgraded DualShock controllers thatSonycould be bundling with thePlayStation 5when it launches at the end of next year – specifically in terms of some extra back buttons it could be getting.
A newly publishedpatentspotted byLetsGoDigitalshows a DualShock controller with four new buttons around the back of the device – possibly to act as back buttons to match the capabilities of Xbox One gamepads.
The design shows two larger buttons that can be moved up and down, and two smaller buttons that can be pressed (and that can detect the pressure of a press). There seems to be some scope for adjusting the positioning of the buttons to suit the size of your hands.
As for how these buttons are going to be used, the patent doesn’t go into too much detail: except to say that they’ll be used to control video game characters, so no surprises there.
This is a patent focused on utility rather than design, so the finished product might not look like the drawing above. Also, as with every patent, the fact that it’s filed doesn’t necessarily mean Sony will go through with it.
What makes us think that these could be back buttons is that the sketches look similar to Sony’s newly unveiledBack Button Attachmentfor existing DualShock 4 controllers. Perhaps the DualShock 5 won’t need any attachment.
For now, a lot of this is speculation – we do know that the new PS5 will come with anew PS5 controller, one that upgrades player immersion and console feedback, but official details of what that involves have been thin on the ground so far.
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It doesn’t look like the designwill be hugely differentfrom what we have today, but expect plenty more PS5 leaks and rumors to hit the web over the course of 2020 – which we will bring you as soon as we have them.
Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.
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