Sony May Use Non-Newtonian Fluid For Smoother Joystick Operation In Future DualSense Controller Revisions

gamerant.com:

The standard controller design for video game consoles has remained relatively unchanged since the introduction of the familiar directional pad and buttons layout found on the Nintendo Entertainment System controller from 1983. The biggest advancement in controller design to happen since this time has been the addition of analog sticks in the 90s, which allowed for more fluid movement of both characters and cameras in a 3D environment.

Although controller designs have remained fairly consistent since this time, console manufacturers are still working on improvements which they hope will become the next industry standard. Recently, the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller was praised for its inclusion of haptic feedback in its triggers.

Sony Files Patent For Browser-Based Cloud Gaming

Sony is still developing concepts which could see controllers improve even more, and Sony’s latest patent describes a new kind of analog stick which is able to retract into the body of the controller. There are also plans to include a non-Newtonian fluid which would be displaced by the collapsible analog stick. A non-Newtonian fluid is a liquid which hardens in response to sudden pressure, and this should provide these analog sticks with a kind of inbuilt haptic resistance similar to the DualSense’s triggers. The fluid in the stick would also likely help to reset the analog stick fairly quickly once the player lifts pressure from them.

This is an interesting design choice which could introduce a range of new gameplay features for developers to implement. These collapsible control sticks could act like two extra analog trigger inputs on the face of the controller, with which the player could maintain fine control of the game's analog inputs.