Touch-enabled PlayStation Move controller Sony patent hints

Sony's PlayStation Move controller has helped bring motion-enabled gaming to PlayStation consoles for over three years, but hasn't exactly set the world alight. To better compete with Microsoft's controller-less Kinect and Nintendo's Wii motion accessories, the company has been looking to extract more functionality from its wireless joystick, as evidenced in a recent filing with the US Patent Office. The patent, entitled "Flat Joystick Controller," describes a controller not dissimilar to the PlayStation Move handheld we've come to know and kinda love, but Sony hints that an upgrade could come in the form of a touch-sensitive surface on the front of the handle.

The company says the new controller "enables control for a variety of applications and simulations while providing an intuitive interface," allowing gamers to better control in-game characters and select elements without having to alter their grip. While the patent suggests Sony is only experimenting with the feature, similar to the hybrid DualShock/PlayStation Move controller patent it filed last year, we know that the company mulled an all-touch PS4 controller before settling on the DualShock 4, indicating that touch still has a big part to play in PlayStation's future.

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