Want to take gaming on your smartphone to the next level? What about playing some of PlayStation’s most popular games while you’re on the move? It looks like that may soon be a reality. At least if one of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s latest patents for a PlayStation Mobile Controller becomes a reality.
Powerful smartphones are more commonplace than ever. And there seems like no better time for Sony to get into the mobile gaming market. Of course, Microsoft have already entered this space with Xbox Cloud Gaming. The service allows players to stream games to different devices – including smartphones and tablets. It has been well-received and Sony is yet to deliver a comparative service. Sure – PlayStation offers Remote Play. But stability and performance varies significantly depending on the strength of the Internet connection being used. So, what does the PlayStation Mobile Controller mean for Sony’s mobile gaming plans? And when is it coming out?
Is a PlayStation mobile controller coming out?
VGC first spotted a new patent published for a PlayStation mobile gaming controller. The patent was reportedly filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Japanese division. Drawings provided alongside it will look very familiar to PS4 owners.
It clearly resembles the PS4’s DualShock 4 controller. This may be surprising, as Sony’s newest controller is the PS5’s excellent DualSense. However, as you’d expect, the mobile gaming controller includes left and right grips for the user’s hands. Including the DualSense’s immersive features in this new controller for mobile would likely increase its production costs quite significantly. And this may be the reason Sony stuck with the DualShock 4’s design.
Exactly when the mobile gaming controller for PlayStation will come out is unclear. Just because a patent has been filed doesn’t mean the accessory will ever see the light of day. What we do know is that Sony has big plans for mobile gaming.
A few months ago, Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan confirmed the company’s plans to adapt and launch “iconic PlayStation IP” on mobile devices. Ryan elaborated: “PlayStation has a huge catalogue of diverse first-party IP that can transition to smartphone gaming[…] please stay tuned.”
It is also worth noting that Sony recently hired Nicola Sebastiani, former Head of Content at Apple Arcade. She will reportedly be leading their mobile division. Sony are obviously taking their entrance into the mobile gaming space very seriously. And the rumoured arrival of a mobile controller could play a big part in that expansion by making games far easier to play on smartphones.
Would you buy one? Are you excited to hear more about Sony’s approach to mobile gaming? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…
