While we're still a year away from the launch of the next generation of consoles, information is leaking out, as Sony prepares patents and copyrights in order to release the PlayStation 5 late in 2020. A new submission from Sony was discovered on the Japanese patent office's official website, with an attached document showing a working design for a new controller, and what could possibly be a PlayStation 5 gamepad. At first glance, the photos make the controller out to look nearly identical to the DualShock 4, but there are a few small improvements and differences that stand out on closer inspection. For one, the lightbar that was so prominently featured on the DS4 has been removed entirely, and instead of a USB-micro charge port, the presumed DualShock 5 will have USB-C charging. Meanwhile, the DS4 touchpad will also be returning. There appears to be a microphone at the bottom of the controller, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. The analog sticks and triggers appear to be the same for the most part, with former being slightly smaller, and the latter being a touch flatter. As far as the documents go, Sony appears to be following their decades-long trend of making minor improvements, but keeping the controller looking relatively the same as it always has.

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[orangy57]

I wonder why they decided to bring back the touchpad, the thing isn't really used at all whatsoever.

 

[DANTENDO]

Thers still prob thousands of ps4 users out ther who hav never noticed a lightbar at the back of the pad until now

 

[Naendow]

I wonder why they decided to bring back the touchpad, the thing isn't really used at all whatsoever.

There are some rumors that it is a touchscreen instead of a touchpad. I hope this isn't true.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

I personally like the DS4's design in general, so more of the same is fine with me. Still curious to see how those adaptive triggers work, those will be an interesting feature if they actually work and don't break after 5 minutes.

 

[MikaDubbz]

There are some rumors that it is a touchscreen instead of a touchpad. I hope this isn't true.

I dunno, I can see more appeal to a touch screen over a touch pad. Could be useful for quick inventory management or constantly displaying a map or the like. Obviously this wouldn't be as in your face as the giant screen of the Wii U gamepad, but in a smaller capacity, I could still see some merit and genuine use for such a thing. All the same, it would likely bump up the price of the controller considerably, so to that extent, I can see why many wouldn't want it. Now, if the PS5 were still completely compatible with PS4 controllers as well, then I don't think it'd be a big deal if you could optionally opt for such a touchscreen version instead for a higher cost.

 

[Naendow]

The only 2 problems why I'd hate a touchscreen in a controller are the price and the durability. :/

 

[FAST6191]

Why do they persist in that less than stellar dpad? Give me a nice one with microswitches.

 

[Chary]

Why do they persist in that less than stellar dpad? Give me a nice one with microswitches.

Further baffling because the Vita dpad was quite nice.

 

[MikaDubbz]

The only 2 problems why I'd hate a touchscreen in a controller are the price and the durability. :/

Well to the Wii U's credit, the Gamepad is surprising robust. Granted I've never thrown mine around or anything like that, and do treat it with care, but here we are nearly 6 years later and mine is still running strong without issue. I'd imagine that Sony too would be able to make a sturdy controller with a touch screen in it. All the same though, price would undeniably be an issue.

 

[Techjunky90]

The only 2 problems why I'd hate a touchscreen in a controller are the price and the durability. :/

Price wouldn't really be an issue considering touchscreen is old technology & produced in mass quantities. Durability probably wouldn't be much of an issue either because most games probably wouldn't take advantage of a touchscreen. Just like 99% of games do not take advantage of the touch pad.

 

[tech3475]

I wonder why they decided to bring back the touchpad, the thing isn't really used at all whatsoever.

Might be to allow for BC ootb with the PS4.

 

[x65943]

Price wouldn't really be an issue considering touchscreen is old technology & produced in mass quantities. Durability probably wouldn't be much of an issue either because most games probably wouldn't take advantage of a touchscreen. Just like 99% of games do not take advantage of the touch pad.

Biggest issue I see is a cut in battery life - screens eat batteries

 

[Techjunky90]

Also, I wouldn't really call those minor improvements. Minor improvement would be the ds3 not having a 3.5mm jack and the ds4 having one. Ds5 having haptic feedback, voice coil actuators, adaptive triggers etc is a major improvement.

 

[DarthDub]

I wonder if they'll improve the battery life on it..

 

[Techjunky90]

I wonder if they'll improve the battery life on it..

Supposedly it will have a bigger battery, but power consumption is probably higher.

 

[ignare]

The headphone jack is by far my favorite part of the DS4

 

[codezer0]

I wonder why they decided to bring back the touchpad, the thing isn't really used at all whatsoever.

With (expected) backward compatibility at least to the PS4, they probably had to for that, and to make migrating not completely suck this time around.

 

[AmandaRose]

Absolutely nothing to suggest that this is for the PS5 it easily could be a new revision for the PS4 for all we know.

 

[raxadian]

I wonder why they decided to bring back the touchpad, the thing isn't really used at all whatsoever.

Yeah, is like they forgot how the tablet thing on the Wii U made that console a failure.

If they want a touchscreen so bad they could just make an app for Android smartphones.