Sony Interactive Entertainment has published a patent for a controller whose buttons can change hardness and resistance based on gameplay actions or user preferences.
The patent, filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization in November 2024 and published in May this year, describes buttons that use a magneto-viscoelastic elastomer. Magnets controlled by the game create varying magnetic fields to adjust the material's feel.
Alternative designs in the filing include fluid-filled membranes for similar effects. One concept allows a player's finger to sink into the button, which then hardens around it.
The technology builds on the adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller for PlayStation 5. Sony is developing its next-generation console, with reports pointing to a potential 2028 or 2029 release.
