Sony may be preparing a radical rethinking of the familiar gamepad. A new patent application, noticed by Insider Gaming, describes a controller without traditional physical buttons. Instead, it proposes using touch panels and optical sensors that respond not only to touches, but also to the approach of fingers.
The key idea behind the device is fully adaptive control. The user will be able to independently customize the "button" layout, the position of virtual sticks, and even their size. The controller will remember player profiles and automatically adjust to a specific person, eliminating the need to change settings every time when several people use the gamepad.
The patent also mentions the possibility of combining different control types on one side of the gamepad. For example, part of the touch surface could work as a D-pad, while an adjacent area could function as an analog stick. In addition, the system is capable of recognizing gestures: swipes, pinches, and slides, effectively turning the device into a hybrid of a gamepad and a trackpad.
However, whether this patent will turn into a real product remains a big question. Like many similar applications, it may remain an experimental idea that never makes it to mass production. Journalists note that the appearance of such a gamepad as a primary device — for example, bundled with PlayStation 6 — is unlikely. It is much more likely that the development is aimed at accessibility needs and could be used to create specialized controllers for players with disabilities.