Newly discovered PS5 DualSense patent could solve drift issues for good
A Sony patent reveals that a new DualSense may feature redesigned analog sticks that use hydraulics for accurate input.
Both the PS5 and DualSense have had their fair share of issues since launch. A lawsuit is currently pending, alleging that the console was released with a known defect. Meanwhile, the DualSense has not escaped drift issues with a US law firm that filed a class action lawsuit last year (via IGN (opens in new tab)). That seems to have died down, with related pages removed from the company website (opens in new tab). But problems with controller drift (and being sued for it) could be a thing of the past for Sony.
Subway (opens in new tab) spotted one patent (opens in new tab) submitted by Sony for a controller with “a collapsible joystick using a liquid”. The liquid in question is non-Newtonian – think custard, ketchup, quicksand. Or in this context, something that is not a spice, dessert or mini deathtrap. It is a liquid that changes its viscosity under force. For example, ketchup becomes more liquid when you shake it. While you can fill a basin with custard and run across it without sinking, perfectly demonstrated in this Brainiac: Science Abuse Episode (opens in new tab).
clearly
The part of the patent that delves into the background of the invention distinguishes joysticks, analog nubs and thumbsticks. It breaks down the comfort and portability of each before concluding:
“The thumbstick is more comfortable for the user than the analog nub and is smaller than a joystick, but still not very portable. The thumbstick protrusion protrudes from the surface of the controller and can be easily caught [in] clothing or other thin materials that can easily break the thumbstick.
“It is within this context that embodiments of the present invention arise.”
The above diagram is of a retractable analog stick without the presence of non-Newtonian fluid. In this case, the shaft retracts into the body of the thumbstick, and both are “freely rotatable together about a pivot point in the controller’s body”.
The image below is the diagram showing the incorporation of non-Newtonian fluids into the controller. The thumbstick shaft “contains a fluid interface surface” and the entire body has a cavity filled with the non-Newtonian fluid.
If the user wishes to retract the thumbstick, “slow pressure can be applied to the thumbstick shaft” to “move the non-Newtonian fluid in the reservoir.” A quick, hard push, on the other hand, will have the opposite effect.
“Due to the nature of the non-Newtonian fluid, rapid pressure on the shaft of the thumbstick will cause an increase in the viscosity of the non-Newtonian fluid and will not displace the fluid.
“So during use, the thumbstick shaft will not retract into the thumbstick body because the pressure during use is not applied slowly enough to displace the non-Newtonian fluid.”
But what does that mean for the practical, day-to-day use of a new and improved PS5 DualSense?
Professional control
With redesigned analog sticks, the DualSense’s input controls can be greatly improved. The sticks are mostly used for moving and aiming, so that can get a lot more nuanced.
They can also be used to add additional ‘input’ buttons, given the foldable aspect of the design. And they could provide improved range of motion and control in sports games, flight simulators and the like.
What that means for current games that use L3 and R3 inputs – particularly if it’s in a way that counters how these new analog sticks work in terms of speed and power – we don’t know. But we can’t see Sony releasing a DualSense Pro that isn’t compatible with the PS5’s current title catalog.
Of course, the existence of a patent does not mean that we will see the idea come to fruition in a physical product. But it’s interesting to see what Sony’s minds are cooking up anyway.