One of the forgotten storylines from the current console generation was how fondly received the PlayStation 4’s controller was relative to the PS3’s DualShock 3 and the Xbox One’s effort. Sony has a big task to follow-up on their leading console controller. To do so, they’ve decided to refine rather than revolutionize with their PlayStation 5 controller.

According to a patent that was approved earlier this week, the controller for the upcoming PlayStation 5 will be largely the same as the PS4 controller. The layout will remain the same as the PS4 controller, including the touchpad introduced on Sony’s current generation console and analog sticks that were criticized for disintegrating grips.

There are a few big changes to the controller. On the outside, the lightbar is being removed. While I liked the idea of the lightbar on the PS4 controller, any notifications it provided weren’t often visible because the lightbar faced away from the player. The impact of this change will be an increase in the controller’s battery life. The controller’s micro-USB charging port is also being substituted for a USB-C plug-in. With an increasing number of devices switching to USB-C plug-ins and chargers and the higher power-handling capabilities of USB-C, it was a matter of time before gaming caught up and adopted the new standard.

Inside the controller, Sony has increased the battery size in order to lengthen the controller’s battery life. Why such a focus on controller life? Sony is introducing new haptic feedback technology which improves on the DualShock rumble features that has been in Sony controllers since the PlayStation 1. The result will be a controller that will be heavier than the current one but one that Sony says will still be lighter than the current Xbox One controller.

The PlayStation 5 will launch in time for the 2020 holiday shopping season. We will report more details on Sony’s next generation console as the information becomes available.

Source: Business Insider

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