Sony’s Patent Reveals How a Smartphone Could Snap Onto the DualSense and Unlock New Ways to Play

Photo credit: Sarang Sheth | Yanko Design
A recently uncovered Sony patent shows how users could connect a smartphone directly to the DualSense controller. The entire concept revolves around connecting two pieces of hardware that most people already own and using them to create a seamless gaming experience directly into PlayStation. Some drawings included with the application show a phone simply placed on top of the controller’s analog sticks and triggers. A magnetic thingy holds everything together, so you can simply plug your phone in and it transforms into a single, compact handheld item.

The console will automatically detect the connected phone, and games will begin to instruct the controller to use the buttons and sticks while simultaneously accessing all of the phone’s functionality. So developers have fast access to almost the entire phone, including the touchscreen for taps and swipes, the built-in motion sensors for tracking movements and orientations, the camera for quick snaps, and the position data for extremely precise steering hints.

A no-brainer benefit is how information appears during gameplay, as the phone screen can handle all of the extra information, such as maps, gear lists, or side views, whilst the TV focuses on the main action. You can also tap on the phone screen to pick settings in a far more straightforward way than fumbling through menus with the sticks alone, and tilting the entire device, smartphone and controller, makes steering or aiming really simple.

Even character creation has been easier, with the phone’s camera capturing a fast facial photo or an item photo and inserting it directly into your in-game avatar. The motion sensors can detect even the smallest motions of the combined device, offering up entirely new possibilities for puzzles that respond to how you hold it.

Sony developed this concept around the idea of leveraging hardware that almost everyone has in their pockets, and they are not the first to try this. Yes, there have been phone clips that attach to controllers for years, but this idea does far more than just mount the phone; it instructs the game engine to use the phone for genuine control data rather than merely mirroring a feed.

Sony attempted to experiment with phone pairings with older controllers a few years ago, but they ran into time and connection quality concerns. In comparison, phones today are far more advanced, with crisper screens, quicker CPUs, and more dependable sensors – and consoles are far more capable of handling all of these additional input streams without issue.

The real question is if it’s worth it; do game developers care enough about this to begin producing games that make use of the extra controls? A racing game might employ phone tilt for steering, whereas an adventure game might use the phone screen for item listings. Overall, the configuration provides a lot of flexibility without requiring you to buy any additional gear.
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