Sony could ditch the buttons on a future DualSense controller – PlayStation patent reveals all

With PS6 still years away from release (according to industry experts) it seems Sony is still working on several ways to make it different to previous console generations.

There continues to be numerous rumours about a handheld version, which will play the same games but with compromises, and it's likely to more universally capable when it comes to backward compatibility. But the biggest, perhaps craziest upgrades might be found on its controller.

Sony has filed a patent for a new DualSense-like controller that takes a radical step away from what we know and love – it has no physical buttons.

The gamepad instead features two touchscreen zones where you can place your own button and D-pad configurations.

Issued last week, the patent (via VGC) shows a controller shaped like the PS5 DualSense but with no thumbsticks and two touchpanels. These enable users to assign their own customised layout instead.

It could even be changed per game, allowing you to set-up the exact key and pad controls you need for a specific title. This is potentially useful, not just for more complex games, but for accessibility too – for those who find smaller buttons hard to press.

There is a downside though – anyone who's tried to play fast-paced action games on a mobile phone screen will know how easy it is to miss inputs when you can't physically feel them. Haptics might help, and it seems that's part of this idea, but it's not a replacement for an actual D-pad or thumbstick.

That being said, mouse style controls would be better emulated through touchpanels – just look at the controller for Valve's forthcoming new Steam Machine.

Maybe the next DualSense could feature both concepts – physical controls and touchscreens that can be customised. That would offer the best of both worlds.

Or maybe this idea will be ditched when it comes to an actual consumer release. That happens often with patents – many of them never see the light of day.