Latest PS4 and PS5 Controller Attachment Patent Brings “Tactile Feedback” for the Visually Impaired

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The latest PS4 and PS5 controller patent filing by Sony Computer Interactive sees a new controller attachment that has the ability to produce a wide variety of functions, including brail for the blind.

The patent, which went public yesterday details the functionality of the device which slips on top of the touchpad of a Dualshock 4 controller. It was specified that this would function on both the PS4 and PS5.

The information processing apparatus may also have access to, and enable communication via, the internet. In one example, the information processing apparatus is a games console, such as the PS4™ or PS5™ and the games controller is a PS4 DualShock

1.A system comprising: a portable device for providing tactile feedback to a user; and a handheld games controller, the games controller comprising a receiving portion for securing the portable device to the games controller via the connecting portion; the portable device comprising: a communication interface operable to receive text information; a tactile pad comprising a plurality of touch elements for generating a respective tactile output; a connecting portion for securing the portable device to a handheld games controller; and a processor configured to receive the text information and to control the tactile output of at least some of the touch elements based on the received text information; the handheld games controller comprising a touch sensitive surface, and wherein the portable device is positioned over the touch sensitive surface; and pressure applied by a user onto the portable device is relayed to the touch sensitive surface of the handheld games controller.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tactile pad comprises: a flexible layer; a plurality of pins arranged below the flexible layer; a plurality of actuators, each actuator being operable to control at least one of a displacement and size of one or more respective pins so as to deform the flexible layer; and wherein the touch elements comprise the plurality of pins, the processor being configured to control at least one of the displacement and size of the pins based on the received text information.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to map the received text information to braille; and wherein the processor is configured to control the tactile output of at least some of the touch elements so as to output a first portion of the received text information in braille.

Down below are some images of the peripheral, with one even showing God of War being used with it.

 

Talk about some pretty innovating stuff right there! If this pushes through, it should help visually impared people play games, which is a definite win in our book. Note that Sony filing a patent doesn’t mean this is guaranteed to see the light of day.

In other PS5 controller news, Sony has announce some of the new features the PS5 controller will have, which you can read about here.

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"Papa Doc" aka Jed
4 years ago

EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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