PS6 without discs and a controller without buttons: Is Sony going too far?

Amid all the discussion surrounding the end of physical game discs, it's easy to forget that Sony may also be considering the end of physical buttons on the controller for the PS5's successor. As we reported back in January, the company filed a patent for a controller that replaces traditional buttons with touch controls.

The roughly six-month-old patent has now resurfaced on Reddit. "Seriously, how will this work?" asks the original poster. Many commenters compare the concept to mobile games, arguing that players would constantly have to look down at the controller because virtual buttons cannot be felt by touch. Others point to accidental inputs and reduced precision as potential drawbacks.

A touch controller could work better than expected

The concept may not be as far-fetched as it initially sounds. According to the patent, the controller would detect touches and gestures while using so-called anchors to determine the position of the user's hands and fingers. Virtual sticks and buttons could then automatically adapt to the player's grip, be freely repositioned, resized or hidden altogether.

The Steam Deck demonstrates that touch-based controls don't necessarily have to be as imprecise as those found on a smartphone. Its touch-sensitive trackpads are not only highly accurate and widely regarded as a viable mouse replacement, but also provide finely tuned haptic feedback. A fully touch-based controller could work in a similar way. Precisely localized vibrations could make the edges of virtual buttons physically noticeable while also providing tactile confirmation when an input is successfully registered. As a result, the controller could feel much better in practice than many users might assume from looking at the patent illustrations alone.

It's still just a patent

Interestingly, the Reddit discussion contains less criticism of Sony than of the post itself. Many users point out that companies file countless patents every year without ever turning those concepts into commercial products. As such, there is currently no reason to believe that the standard PS6 controller will actually ship without physical buttons. At the same time, however, the possibility can't be ruled out entirely – and if the PlayStation 6 does launch with a buttonless controller, many fans seem convinced they won't be buying one. As Reddit user u/Thread-Astaire put it: "No buttons, no buy."