Last week, Sony revealed a couple of interesting things about the PlayStation 5‘s DualShock 5 controller. However, it turns out the company may have more surprises in store. A new patent filing hints that the DualShock 5 may be coming with online functionality, connecting to the internet on its own.
The patent in question was reported on by German site PlayFront. Attached to said patent are a number of illustrations that seem to indicate that Sony wants to allow the controller to go online without having to connect to a PlayStation 5.
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As for why Sony would want the DualShock 5 to be able to connect online, it looks like it wants to use the controller for cloud gaming. The same figures released with the patent specifically illustrate the controller being used to stream games via the cloud, possibly through its PlayStation Now service.
If this is what Sony plans to do with the DualShock 5, then it looks like the company may be taking a shot at Stadia. Google’s upcoming cloud gaming service also only uses a controller without the need for a console. Instead, Stadia can connect to TV sets via Chromecast. Of course, how Sony expects the DualShock 5 to connect to a TV is unclear. It could possibly use a streaming device like a Chromecast as well.
With all this said, there’s no guarantee that Sony will implement this feature with the DualShock 5. The company could have simply filed the patent as one possible direction it could take with the controller, and then simply backed off in the end.
Of course, even without online functionality, the DualShock 5 already looks to include a few other exciting features. Last week, Sony’s Mark Cerny revealed that the controller will feature haptic feedback, instead of just having rumble. As part of this, it will also feature adaptive triggers that will offer different levels of resistance based on what’s happening in the game.
