USPTO awards Sony the patent for PS5 faceplates following Dbrand altercation

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has published Sony's patent for PS5 faceplates, dated November 16, 2021. As Dbrand confirmed last month, Sony filed patents for the faceplates globally. However, these remained pending approval when the company attempted to prevent Dbrand from selling Darkplates, which we have discussed separately.

Since then, Dbrand has released Darkplates 2.0, which does away with Sony's wingtips, favouring rounded corners. Also, Darkplates 2.0 contains fan cut-outs, a feature missing from Sony's faceplates. Darkplates 2.0 remain available to order, as do those sold by Customize My Plates.

Sony's patent approval would now allow it to license the design to third-party manufacturers. To that end, Sony has already hinted that it will release a black version of the PS5, even if just as a special edition console. The company has not confirmed this though, nor that it intends to license the design to those who want to produce third-party replacements.

While Sony has patented its faceplate design, that should not prevent companies from producing vinyl skins for the PS5. Similarly, alternatives like Darkplates 2.0 may not breach Sony's intellectual property, either. We would not be surprised if Sony went after Dbrand again, given its previous demands' ferocity.

Purchase the Motorola Edge on Amazon