playstation Manufacturer Sony Interactive Entertainment has patented a controller that doesn't have any physical buttons, as revealed in some newly released regulatory filings. The concept lacks many of the traditional inputs typically associated with gamepads, but the patent primarily focuses on input technology rather than hinting at future PlayStation controller designs, so it represents only one possible implementation.
Every year, at least a handful of new controller-related Sony patents are granted and disclosed. These documents vary widely in design and function, but most include some form of physical button. Breaking this pattern is a newly published USPTO patent dated January 27, 2026.
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Sony's latest controller concept has no buttons and multiple screens
The newly secured patent, identified with grant number 12533573 (first spotted by VGC), describes a gamepad that completely abandons traditional physical input. In its place is a touchscreen paired with some additional sensors that can detect finger positions such as taps, long presses, and swipes. These input readings are used to dynamically illuminate and adjust virtual controls on the device's display, allowing the interface to switch depending on how the user holds and interacts with the unconventional PlayStation controller depicted in the drawing accompanying the patent.
Illustrated illustration of Sony's new controller patent
What Sony says about the purpose of this unusual invention
The original filing for the patent, filed in February 2023, describes a screen and sensor approach to reading player input as offering more flexibility compared to a physical stick and button layout. This allows gaming accessory manufacturers to accommodate different hand sizes, play styles, or accessibility requirements with a single device, rather than developing and mass producing multiple specialized controllers. Currently, Sony continues to address a variety of accessibility needs through dedicated hardware, such as the PlayStation 5 Access Controller, released in December 2023.
The new PlayStation controller patent doesn't actually require a complete lack of buttons.
Although some implementations described in the new Sony patent refer to using touchscreens and illuminated display elements to display virtual controls, the core claims do not mandate the presence of multiple screens or dedicated displays. Instead, the patent broadly covers adaptive input surfaces that interpret input without physical buttons and display visual output only as an optional feature. That said, the technology described in the patent could theoretically be implemented in a more traditional controller that also provides some sort of physical input.
Estimating the likelihood that Sony patent 12533573 will be used in actual products
According to a recent study by Parola Analytics, the USPTO has granted 2,256 Sony Group patents during 2025. This makes the tech giant the 14th company with the most patent applications this year, ranking just below Dell and above Intel. For further context, Sony Group and its many subsidiaries held 133,506 U.S. patents as of January 31, 2026, according to a snapshot of the USPTO database reviewed by GameRant. Many of these protected inventions have never been commercialized. Given this context, the statistical likelihood of this particular controller turning into a commercial product appears to be relatively low.
That said, accessibility has become an increasingly important focus for gamepad manufacturers. This includes greater efforts to accommodate players with physical disabilities, as well as those who rely on unconventional settings for comfort or practical reasons. For example, another recent Sony patent suggests that future PlayStation controllers could detect when the user is playing in a reclining or lying position and automatically adjust their functions accordingly. Given these circumstances, accessibility-focused applications such as patent 12533573 may have a better chance of eventually being translated into commercial products than typical Sony patents that appear in the USPTO database.
Source: VGC
