The DualSense PS5 controller will have a number of bells and whistles, from haptic feedback and a revised share button to its larger form factor and updated touchpad. Some of the new controller’s features seem as though they may drain the battery, which often proves detrimental to longer sessions of play. However, it’s possible that Sony is preemptively working on a way to alleviate such issues. If a recently filed patent is put to use by the hardware manufacturer, the DualSense may feature wireless charging capabilities that can be used during playtime.
As spotted by Gaming Route, a document for Sony’s “wireless charging adapter” patent was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office this past February. According to the document’s abstract, the patent is for:
A wireless charging adapter that can snap onto a computer game controller can be inductively coupled to a charging base to wirelessly recharge a battery in the controller. The adapter also can include keys that mirror keys on the controller so that a gamer can remove the adapter with controller from the charging base, keep the adapter on the controller, and use both the controller keys and adapter keys to control a computer game.
The “controller keys” referenced in the abstract relate to “X” and “O” buttons in the image below, each of which sit parallel to one another on the adapter’s back side. Should this patented design make it to market, it’ll count as the first time a DualShock has featured buttons on its back, barring third-party applications of the feature and, technically, the DualShock 4’s own back button attachment. (Though this patent may be talking about the buttons on the adapter, not natively on the controller itself.) Effectively it feels like this adapter is similar to the back-button attachment, with the added benefit of wireless charging.
Two figures below provide a look at what the wireless charging adapter and its extra controller keys may bring to the table:
This isn’t the first time wireless charging patents have been seen for PlayStation controllers. A report came up back in February regarding a similar wireless charging adapter patent, so it seems Sony is keen to explore this as a solution to controller charging next-gen. It’s important to note that patent abstracts tend to be purely functional, so the marketable aspects of this patent that make it to retail (if they do) could be very different, even if the general idea remains the same.
Rumors and reports suggest we’ll learn more about the PlayStation 5 sometime in early June. However, given the situation revolving around Covid-19, whatever plans Sony may or may not have are subject to change.
[Source: USPTO via Gaming Route]
