Sony PlayStation 5 controller might share one unique feature with Google Stadia

Although there were quite a few things to drool over during Sony's PlayStation 5 announcement last week, one of the most exciting was the controller, which eschews the DualShock name in favour of a new as-yet-unannounced label. It's full of new features, but a patent filed by Sony points to one of the biggest surprises yet. 

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Dutch blog Techtastic reported on the patent application, filed several weeks ago, titled Network Connected Controller for Direct to Cloud Gaming. All signs point to Sony considering cloud-based gaming, hooking up a controller directly to the internet in order to play games hosted on a shared server online, rather than downloaded onto a console. 

However, just because a patent has been filed doesn't mean it will be included in the finished product. But it's a technology shared by Google's Stadia gamepad and its entirely cloud-based gaming platform, indicating Sony has one eye on the competition and could even be looking to develop a rival service.

The PlayStation 5 won't be on shelves until the holiday season in 2020, but the new controller already has stacks of features announced including an in-built microphone, haptic feedback technology more sensitive than the previous 'rumbling' DualShocks and 'adaptive triggers' which will provide different levels of resistance depending on different in-game tasks. For example, drawing a bow and arrow with L2 is said to feel very different from using the same trigger to accelerate in an off-road vehicle. 

Other confirmed features for the console itself include support for 8K Ultra HD, a custom-made AMD Navi processor and a new power-saving feature to place the console on standby. Make sure the check t3.com for all the latest PlayStation 5 leaks as they happen.

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