Sony has patented a touchscreen PlayStation controller th...

What’s Happening

Breaking it down: Standard controllers aren’t comfortable for everyone, Sony says Sony has patented a touchscreen PlayStation controller that lets players choose where to put the buttons Standard controllers arent comfortable for everyone, Sony says Video Game News 31st Jan 2026 / 2:39 pm Posted by Chris Scullion Sony has obtained a US patent for a special controller with a touchscreen that lets players choose where the buttons should go.

The patent was filed back in February 2023, but was issued last week, and is described as designs and methods for a game controller. According to the patents description and accompanying images, the controller would have a large touchscreen covering most of its top surface, where the buttons would usually go. (it feels like chaos)

The idea is that players would be able to customise where the D-Pad, sticks or action buttons should be positioned on the controller, to best suit their personal taste, accessibility needs or what best suits each specific game.

The Details

It appears that players can also choose to resize the buttons or even remove some buttons altogether for certain games. In theory, this could mean if the player was playing a simple platform game, they could replace all the buttons with a single large jump button.

Or, if they were playing a game that only required a D-Pad or a left stick, they could choose to remove one and make the other larger. Often [conventional] controllers adhere to a similar control interface of having a directional pad on one side of the controller and buttons on the other side of the controller, the patent description reads.

Why This Matters

One of the drawbacks of existing designs may be the fixed configuration. Example, a fixed layout may be too small, or too large, for a user. Similarly, a fixed layout may not be comfortable to a user.

The gaming community has been watching developments like this closely.

Key Takeaways

• Manufacturers typically do not veer from layout or controller size to reduce cost.
• As result, controllers may include button configurations for hand sizes that do not accommodate all players.

The Bottom Line

Manufacturers typically do not veer from layout or controller size to reduce cost. As result, controllers may include button configurations for hand sizes that do not accommodate all players.

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