What Sony's buttonless controller means for the future of playstation gaming
A new patent suggests touchscreens could replace buttons in future PlayStation controllers
Dubai: Sony has been granted a patent for a PlayStation controller that does away with physical buttons entirely, and the gaming world is buzzing with curiosity about what this could mean for the future of the DualSense.
What did Sony actually patent?
The patent, granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office on January 27 2026, describes a gamepad that replaces traditional buttons and thumbsticks with touchscreens and sensors. These sensors can detect finger position, taps, long presses and swipes, whilst the touchscreen displays virtual controls that shift and adjust depending on how the player holds the device.
Think of it like having a fully customisable controller layout that can change from game to game, or even adapt to different hand sizes and play styles.
Why would Sony do this?
According to the original patent application, filed back in February 2023, the touchscreen approach offers far more flexibility than a traditional button layout. Rather than producing multiple specialist controllers for different needs, a single device could theoretically accommodate everyone, from casual players to those with accessibility requirements.
Accessibility has become a growing priority for gaming hardware manufacturers in recent years. Sony already produces the PlayStation 5 Access Controller, designed specifically for players with physical disabilities. A fully adaptive touchscreen controller could take that thinking even further.
The obvious concern
Anyone who has played a fast-paced game on a smartphone screen will immediately spot the problem here. Without physical buttons you can actually feel, missing inputs becomes frustratingly easy. Haptic feedback might soften that blow, but most gamers would agree it's not quite the same as pressing a real button or moving an actual thumbstick.
The ideal solution, as many have already suggested, might be a hybrid approach that combines physical controls with customisable touchscreen zones, giving players the best of both worlds.
Should gamers get excited?
Probably not just yet. Sony filed an astonishing 2,256 patents in 2025 alone, and the company holds over 133,000 US patents in total. The vast majority of these never become real products.
That said, given the growing focus on accessibility in gaming, this particular patent might have a slightly better chance of becoming something real compared to the average filing.
What does this mean for PS6?
With the PS6 still several years away according to industry experts, Sony clearly has plenty of time to explore radical new ideas. Whether this buttonless controller ever makes it to consumers remains to be seen.
For now, it's a fascinating glimpse into how Sony is thinking about the future of gaming. Bold, unconventional and perhaps a little controversial, which honestly sounds very much like PlayStation's style.
Areeba Hashmi is a trainee at Gulf News.
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