Sony confirmed the PS5’s official name last week — yeah, it’s “PlayStation 5” just like we all expected — and reconfirmed plans to release the new console during the 2020 holiday season. But the real star of its press announcement was the brand new PS5 controller, which isn’t called DualShock 5 for the time being. The controller packs a few upgrades over its predecessor, most of them having to do with haptic feedback. But a report suggested the controller might also include a built-in microphone that might be used by a yet to be confirmed PlayStation voice assistant.
Now, a new discovery indicates that Sony is working on adding yet another exciting new feature to PlayStation controllers, and it could be ready for the PS5 launch next year.
Dutch blog TechTastic discovered a Sony patent application that was published a few weeks ago describing technology powering a Network Connected Controller for Direct to Cloud Gaming. As the name of the invention clearly indicates, Sony is considering having a PlayStation controller connect directly to the internet to access cloud gaming.
If the feature sounds familiar, that’s because Google’s Stadia controller can do the same thing. The point of it all is to reduce latency for games that are streamed directly from Google’s servers. Sony may be looking to implement a similar feature that would allow gamers to stream PlayStation titles, if that’s something the PS5 will be able to deliver. Then again, patented tech doesn’t always make it into commercial products, so we can only speculate for the time being.
Having the controller hook up to the user’s home network might also help with that rumored virtual assistant that Sony is considering for the PlayStation. A DualShock 5 controller featuring a microphone and Wi-Fi support would be able to register user commands and transmit them to Sony’s servers a lot faster than it would if everything had to be relayed through the console.
