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- Sony has published a new patent that will let gamers add and use virtual buttons with game controllers.
- These virtual buttons will function using finger gestures, with multiple sensors detecting the gestures made by players during gameplay.
- The patent also aims to introduce the feature for accessibility reasons to let an even broader audience enjoy PlayStation games.
Some gaming conglomerates have been engaged in an arms race to upgrade the console controller experience by securing patents. However, a new one, published by Sony, could change console gaming as we know it.
We’ve found a new Sony patent that wants to introduce the ability for gamers to create virtual buttons on existing controllers. These buttons will respond to finger gestures and do not require any physical changes to the layout.
Sony proposes using multiple sensors to detect finger gestures on controllers, allowing users to assign specific gestures to in-game tasks for enhanced immersion and accessibility.
The virtual-button can be identified on any surface of the controller where no real-buttons are disposed and the finger gesture on the virtual-button can be defined to be a single tap or a double tap or a press or a swipe in a particular direction, etc.
Why it matters: Sony is planning to make games even more convenient for PlayStation users by allowing them to create custom controls. This will let everyone finally surpass the limits currently set by the few physical buttons that exist on controllers.
The patent discusses using data collected from sensors to detect gestures and perform the assigned input as if a virtual button were pressed.
For example, a PlayStation user may pinch on the controller surface to perform a specific assigned combo or tap the back casing to alternate between fire modes in an FPS entry.
inputs for a video game provided by a user using a hand-held controller have to be properly identified and correctly interpreted in order to accurately affect a game state of the video game. Relying just on a single mode of data (e.g., image tracking a finger gesture) can lead to erroneous outcome in the video game.
Similarly, the user can also assign inputs to control other applications via the virtual buttons while engaging in gameplay, such as maintaining a music application simultaneously.
Users with disabilities could also use gestures to perform Morse code and have it translated to text or speech in a multiplayer game to communicate. Sony may even let disabled gamers play much of the game using virtual buttons alone.
Sony has also secured other unique patents over the years, including one that allows in-game NPCs to react to player emotions in real-time, and another for detecting chemicals in players’ sweat using controllers to monitor stress during gameplay.
Do you think having virtual buttons in controllers will make them feel more immersive? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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