Sony has patented a PlayStation controller with buttons that change hardness during gameplay

Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a patent for a PlayStation controller with buttons that physically change their hardness and resistance during gameplay. The application was filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization in November 2024 and published in May 2026, with the patent recently brought to light by the folks at Cheat Happens.

The DualSense controller introduced adaptive triggers and haptic motors that changed how controllers could respond to on-screen context. However, the face buttons and joysticks themselves still provide a fixed physical feel. This patent aims to change that by bringing adaptive feedback to the face buttons as well, using two main approaches.

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The first uses a magneto-viscoelastic elastomer, a material embedded with magnetizable particles that can soften or harden in response to a surrounding magnetic field controlled by the game in real time. The second approach involves fluid-filled membranes that achieve a similar tactile effect. Both methods would allow the game to dynamically alter how much force is required to press a button depending on what is happening on screen.

In practice, this would mean the buttons could harden when a character touches hard ground or an object, and soften when moving through mud or a swamp. The patent also describes a "finger grab" effect, in which a button softens enough for a player's finger to sink into it before hardening around the finger, simulating the sensation of being grabbed or trapped and requiring extra force to pull free.

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The patent also flags accessibility as a use case. Buttons that can soften or harden based on input type could adapt to players using elbows, palms, or other contact points, making the controller more accommodating for disabled gamers.

As with any patent, there is no guarantee this technology will ever make it into a commercial product. If it does, however, the PlayStation 6 could be a likely candidate, with reports suggesting the console is on track for mass production in 2027 or early 2028. In the meantime, PC players are getting a taste of a more immersive DualSense experience thanks to a recent DSX update that enables wireless haptic feedback support.