Sony applies a patent for a touch screen controller

We already know that Sony isn't working a traditional successor to its handheld, the PS Vita. On the other hand, Sony has seen the success of Nintendo Switch and it could be that the company is working towards a similar concept. A new patent filed by Sony last month gives us an idea as to its plans, revealing that the company may already have something in the works.

That's because Sony Interactive Entertainment America has applied for a patent of a controller which comes with a touchscreen. It could be relatively mundane, a new version of Dualshock for PS5, for example. That said, it could be there is something more to it. Perhaps Sony plans on displaying in-game info on a small screen, kind of like Nintendo did with the Wii U. Here's the description as listed in the patent filing:

A touchscreen defined along the top surface of the main body between the first extension and the second extension; a first set of buttons disposed on the top surface of the main body proximate to the first extension and on a first side of the touchscreen; and a second set of buttons disposed on the top surface of the main body proximate to the second extension and on a second side of the touchscreen.

It' pretty vague and it's hard to discern the extent of the planned changes. It's also worth noting that a bunch of these patents are filed for tech that never sees the light of day, and this may well be the case here. We'll just have to wait and see...

Thanks, Reddit.