Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Sony Patents One Controller To Rule Them All
Would you entertain the idea of ditching your ever-growing pile of gamepads in favor of one universal controller that works with all your consoles? If Sony moves forward on a patent the company recently filed, you may soon have the option.
Like the Logitech Harmony 1100 universal remote, Sony's proposed controller would replace the traditional gamepad layout in favor of a touch-sensitive LCD screen. Using touchscreen technology as the primary input method enables the controller to display a different key layout for different consoles. According to the document filed at the Patent & Trademark Office, the controller would "emulate the controllers of popular game consoles, such as…the PlayStation, a controller made by Nintendo, Xbox game controllers made by Microsoft, Amiga CD-32 controllers, Atari Jaguar controllers, Gravis Gamepad controllers, Sega controllers, and Turbographics [sic] controllers." The filing also claims the controller can store up to three control configurations at a time. The LCD could also display a keyboard for alpha-numeric data entry.
As this diagram shows, the LCD touchscreen runs across the center of the controller, with shoulder buttons housed along the top of the unit. No mention is made of analog sticks in the document, which is a strange exclusion considering it's the primary input method for most contemporary games on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This could indicate that the universal controller is being created as an all-in-one solution for legacy systems as opposed to a replacement option for current generation consoles. The controller connects to the consoles via a receiver, which could mean it will use a wireless signal.
I love the idea of a universal game controller, but as an owner of a Logitech Harmony remote with an LCD touchscreen I know the shortcomings of removing tactile buttons. It already feels awkward hovering my finger over the flush play button while fast-forwarding using the remote, but now they expect me to effectively press flush buttons in frantic gaming situations where precision is paramount? I'm not sure it will work. What do you think?
[via GameSpot]
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
