The PS5 controller (almost certainly called DualShock 5) could have a built-in microphone, according to a recent Sony patent. The patent was spotted by Segment Next (followed by a Reddit user) yesterday, pointing to what to possibly expect from Sony’s next controller. A patent sketch shows a mic beneath the touchpad, which could allow for voice commands.
It’s common for companies to secure patents for ideas that never see the light of day, so this particular one isn’t necessarily a concrete confirmation of what’s to come. However, it isn’t outlandish to expect the DualShock 5 to include a built-in mic for taking voice commands since many modern TV remotes have similar functionality and home assistants like Google and Alexa are very common. And when you consider the PS4 is already capable of taking voice commands via the PlayStation Camera or other connected mic, it doesn’t seem to be outside the realm of possibility to expect Sony to expand on that idea.
You can check out some of the patent sketches below: (Editor’s Note: The patent sketch below is referencing features of the controller, not a to-scale reference drawing of the controller’s shape or buttons. No, the DualShock 5 isn’t going to have itty-bitty little joysticks.)
While the patent is fully in Japanese, a translation mentions a microphone capable of taking voice commands.
Yesterday, we reported that the official PlayStation France website had mentions of the PlayStation 5 controller being called the DualShock 5. Not only that, but the DualShock 5 will apparently be backwards compatible with the PS4, not unlike the ability to use a DualShock 4 with a PS3. While it’s possible this could be an error, seeing it listed on an official Sony site is compelling enough.
With Sony skipping out on E3 for the second year in a row, we’ll have to wait for the Japanese company to host its own event, which many are predicting will happen in February 2020. The PS4’s official reveal occurred in February 2013, with the system launching later that year, so Sony might be going with the same schedule. Regardless of when Sony decides to unveil its new console, the company has already announced that PS5 will launch “holiday 2020.”
What do you make of the possibility of a microphone built into the DualShock 5 for taking voice commands? Would you use this feature, and do you use it on the PS4 at all?
[Source: Patent Scope via Reddit, Segment Next]
