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.
Phone PlayStation controller patent by Sony
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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We have been thinking about how players enjoy our content and have had some early success with experimenting with mobile games and apps to provide more choice to gamers. Mobile is just one of the areas we are exploring to reach millions of gamers beyond our platforms.
PlayStation has a huge catalogue of diverse first-party IP that can transition to smartphone gaming and complement our AAA games or live service games. We are exploring the mobile market with some wonderful PlayStation franchises so please stay tuned.
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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