Sony patents a cult PlayStation controller for phones

Sony patents phone PlayStation controller
It seems that Sony wasn't kidding when it said that it will renew its focus on gaming in the mobile realm. Back in 2011, we reviewed the Sony Xperia Play phone, an odd slider with a joypad and buttons that mimicked the PlayStation controller. We spent countless hours playing old Sony titles or Cadillacs&Dinosaurs emulation and came away impressed by the concept.

Needless to say, phone screens were much smaller and of lower quality then, plus the chipsets were rather slow for fast-paced 3D games. With today's 5nm processors and the upcoming 3nm/4nm revolution, as well as HDR mobile screens up to 4K in resolution, like on Sony's latest flagship Xperia Pro-1 phone, it may be time to resurrect the PlayStation experience on phones.

At least that's what Sony might have been thinking when it patented a PlayStation-esque controller meant for mobile devices. It has all the iconic buttons, pads, and triggers that we know and love from the full-fledged console, but don't ask for DualSense-style vibrations, as the patent depiction looks very much like the tried and true DualShock model.


Back in October, Sony poached an ex-Apple Arcade head of content, Nicola Sebastiani, as chief of the mobile division with the job requirement that they leverage its gaming clout and brand recognition in that realm. In addition, the PlayStation franchise head, Jim Ryan, confirmed the new direction:

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