From No Physical Media to No Button Controllers!

Jul 30, 2026 7:13 AM

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sony-has-patented-a-touchscreen-playstation-controller-that-lets-players-choose-where-to-put-the-buttons/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c5yp_I1WA8

The patent was placed in 2023, and just granted today.
Remember, most patents never come to fruition, but with Sony's current track record, this couldn't have come at a worse time.

Hard no. I had a phone and a fitbit that died identically because of that. No way to reset, no way to physically power off. Had to wait for the battery to die. Had to wait and charge after. Nothing. Repeat process for three months... Had to go through the seller to get my fucking warranty fulfilled. Bad design once its an oopsie. Bad design again from a different brand: its not an acceptable design. Try to sell me a car like that after: fuck you.

1 month ago | Likes 15 Dislikes 0

1 month ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

"Stick drift? No stick for you!"

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Also you rent the no buttons in a no buttons as a service contract.

1 month ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

v

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The car industry has tried it with all glass interfaces. They're starting to realise it was a bad idea and buttons are coming back. You need the physical feedback of where a button is and how it can be pressed - especially in something that you're not looking at all the time.

1 month ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Oh yeah, because who wants tactile feedback? We love having to constantly look down at our controller.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Reminds me of the first Steam controller

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Next up: gamerless games

1 month ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Aka, Mixtape.

1 month ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I'm sure that extended use will not cause any issues with increased heat and loss of button pad grip or thermal accuracy, definitely not going to be an issue /s

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Non-tactile input methods are never going to be a preferred thing. I don't care if it was on Star Trek. It's stupid and less efficient than just having buttons.

1 month ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

companies patent all kinds of shit they have no intention of ever producing, just in case someone else makes one.

1 month ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Most patents never come to fruition, but with Sony's current track record, this couldn't have come at a worse time.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

true

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

that said, it IS sony so who knows

1 month ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Sony keeps making bad decisions when it cones to Playstation. Are they trying to drive their customer base to other platforms?

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Welp. Never gonna buy one of those. PS5 is the peak commercial controller now. Just saving up for an Alpakka Controller.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Sony is batting zero this year, so far they are deleting movies people have paid for and now this joke of a controller. I wonder who will buy Sony when they start going under.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I want more tactility back in my life.

1 month ago | Likes 43 Dislikes 0

How much you want to be the delux version of the buttonless controller comes with simulated haptic rumble feedback?

1 month ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

You will feel NOTHING except the smooth sleek elegance of GLOSSY PLASTIC!!!

NOW CLOSE YOUR EYES AND HIT SQUARE!

HAH! MISSED!

AHHHHAAHAHHAA MISSED AGAINNNNNNNA! ... pooor samurai....

1 month ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 0

Give us back buttons, in general, capacitive control surfaces are ass.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

No thanks

1 month ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

I’m not into gaming and even I know this is a terrible idea. The radio and climate controls in my wife’s car are all touchscreen pads and it’s awful. Some things just need to have actual tactile buttons.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

No more physical games, no more physical buttons. Soon they'll be streaming games directly to your brain... and harvesting your thoughts.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

All I see is a controller that
A) breaks far more easily, and
B) will disable itself at random to show ads

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Anyone who has ever used cellphone game controls and immediately went out and bought a clip on controller for their smartphone knows why this is a shit idea

1 month ago | Likes 85 Dislikes 0

No worries, Sony will sell that too!

1 month ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 1

Someone downvoting this like it's not exactly what Apple's whole business model is.

1 month ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Apple's business model: to be the solution to, and cause of, all of life's problems.

1 month ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

goes right along with disc-less games and cd-less consoles

1 month ago | Likes 21 Dislikes 0

First they take our discs. Then they take our buttons! Why Sony? WHYYYYyY!

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I suspect the Sony Playstation team gets turned on by latency.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Customerless design.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Look on the bright side. Countless puppies will be saved from having their snoots removed.

1 month ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Things seems to be going really bad for MS / Xbox, so one would think Sony would take this moment to try and get a head as much as possible. But nope, let's alienate the fans! No physical games! Dumbass controllers! Can't wait to see what they'll do next other than more insane price hikes! Though honestly as a PC gamer first I applaud it, more people moving over to PC the better. Let's kill off the consoles and bring PC to the Livingroom as the new standard.

1 month ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0