PlayStation Controller Patent Hints Easier Wireless Charging May be in Our Future

Video game controllers have come a long way over the years, but charging up your gamepad is still far from a perfect experience. DualShock 4 and Xbox One controllers still just ship with a basic USB cable for charging, and while there are various third-party charging solutions available, you never know how functional or reliable those will be. A fairly large portion of gamers are still just using the basic USB cables their controllers shipped with.

Well, a recently-unearthed Sony patent hints the company may finally be getting serious about improving the controller-charging experience. The patent shows an attachment that would allow controllers to be easily charged via an induction base. The attachment would also include additional back buttons. Check out a few diagrams and a description of the device, below.

A wireless charging adapter that can snap onto a computer game controller can be inductively coupled to a charging base to wirelessly recharge a battery in the controller. The adapter also can include keys that mirror keys on the controller so that a gamer can remove the adapter with controller from the charging base, keep the adapter on the controller, and use both the controller keys and adapter keys to control a computer game.

Of course, Sony has already released a back button attachment, so a version that adds wireless charging would be a natural next step. The patent images show the attachment being used on what appears to be a DualShock 4 controller, but could it also be compatible with the PS5’s upcoming DualSense controller? We don’t yet know what kind of battery life the new controller will boast, but, of course, a more modern charging solution would be welcome.

How do you charge you controllers? Are you still using that dusty old USB cable or have you found a better product or solution?

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