New patent shows possible Sony controller for mobile games

Playing Playstation games authentically on the go could soon be possible again.

Some PS Vita fans would like a new handheld from the Playstation team, but that will probably not happen because the company is taking a different path. A patent published by Sony Japan shows that Sony wants to build on existing hardware and combine it with the PlayStation brand (via VGC).

That’s behind Sony’s mobile patent

Mobile-Controller: First of all, we have a controller that a smartphone can be fitted into. The patent drawing uses the design of the PS4’s DualShock 4 for this. The gamepad is cut in half and connected by means of a smartphone holder. This can be tilted and even seems to make motion control possible. The whole thing basically looks like a Nintendo Switch in Playstation design.

Stream-Box: Speaking of switches – the smartphone controller should be able to communicate with a streaming box that is connected to a monitor. In this way we could also play the games on the television. It looks like Sony is planning a piece of hardware specifically designed for this purpose. This is not only reminiscent of the Switch, but also of the Steam boxes from Valve.

PS Now und Remote Play: Streaming and subscription services are becoming increasingly important, also for Sony. With its streaming service PS Now, the Playstation team can also reach people who do not have a PS4 or PS5 by streaming the games on a PC or smartphone. A separate mobile controller and the option of transmitting the image to a monitor therefore make perfect sense.

Another use is remote play. In this way we could use our Playstation like a switch. Once the TV is occupied, we simply stream our games from the PS4 or PS5 to our smartphone and can continue to gamble.

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Sony attacks the mobile market

The new hardware is probably part of Sony’s big mobile offensive. In addition to the PC, smartphones and tablets are to be fed more and more frequently with Playstation games in the future. In the spring of this year, the position of Head of Mobile was filled with the former head of Apple Arcade, Nicola Sebastiani.

In the coming years, according to Playstation boss Jim Ryan, various Playstation franchises “will be implemented for smartphones and complement the lineup of AAA games and live service games”. It starts with WipeOut Rush, a mixture of card game and racing game, which will be released in the first few months of the coming year.

Of course, it has not yet been decided whether the Sony controller for mobile games will really come, so far the patent is only a draft.

What do you think of the patent and would you like more Playstation titles for mobile platforms?