Sony patent targets DualSense stick drift, as PS6 controller may use TMR-like tech

Dedicated gamers continue to wait for Microsoft and Sony to address stick drift. Like its Xbox rival, the potentiometers in DualSense PS5 controllers can gradually degrade, leading to inaccurate inputs. However, a new Sony patent describes a potential PS6-era solution with TMR-inspired magnetic sensors.

How the PlayStation controller would work

Discovered by Cheat Happens, “Operating Stick and Assembly and Input Device” appeared on July 2nd. The concept aims to boost the accuracy and durability of joysticks. The possible PS6 controller would utilize a design that “senses tilting of the operating stick in a noncontact manner.” Consequently, “movement of the operating stick can be detected with high precision even under prolonged use.”

With “engaging protrusions” that slot into grooves, the analog sticks can avoid the stick drift that plagues the DualSense. When a gamer moves the component, the “force is prevented from being consumed by the rotation of the operating stick, and as a result, operability of the operating stick can be improved.”

To ensure consistent inputs, the peripheral relies on a spring-based system to return the stick to a center position. A cylindrical biasing structure also stabilizes the magnetic field around the sensor to further enhance precision.

Sony is playing catchup

Although the Sony patent tweaks existing ideas, competitors already have minimized stick drift. While more common with Xbox gear than PS5 controllers, affordable Hall effect or TMR-based alternatives have multiplied. Yet, even the pricey first-party DualSense Edge has suffered from reliability issues.

Critics claim that Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo would rather buyers have to purchase new accessories regularly. Yet, given the popularity of magnetic sensors, a PS6 controller may finally embrace TMR. Whether or not it would ship with the console or sell as a pro-level upgrade is unclear.

There is also a chance that the concept never becomes a reality. PlayStation controller patents often include ideas that may prove impractical. One of the more recent filings introduces a modular option with a touchscreen display.