Sony patent may reveal a new PSVR controller design

A new Sony patent offers a look at a potential new controller design for the next generation of PSVR.

Dutch gadget site LetsGoDigital spotted the patent application, which Sony filed with the World Intellectual Property Office back in March and was published yesterday. The application's text is almost entirely Japanese, but the accompanying illustrations show what looks like a polished and fully featured VR controller design.

Sometimes patent art is simplified to demonstrate one specific part of a product while leaving the rest undetailed. That's not the case here. The patent presents a one-handed controller with an analog stick, two primary face buttons and two smaller buttons, and an arcing piece that bridges the top of the controller and the bottom of the grip - much like the design for the Valve Index controllers.

The patent includes illustrations of a VR headset seemingly tracking the location of the controller through emitters positioned on the controller's bridge piece. If the headset has its own tracking sensors built-in, the next generation of PlayStation VR may work without a separate camera. That would make it quite a bit easier to set up and use than the current version, which requires you to always stay within the central view of a properly positioned PlayStation Camera.

As with all patent applications, the existence of the patent itself doesn't mean it will ever become a consumer product - but it is some valuable insight into what Sony's working on at the moment. Speaking of which, Sony has not made any official announcements about a next-generation PlayStation VR, though it has confirmed the original PSVR and its games will be compatible with PS5.

Sony previously showed off some new tech that could be used for improved finger tracking in PSVR.