It really has been a rough few years for console manufacturers and game publishers more generally, as greedy AI data centers drive up the prices of critical components. For Sony and PlayStation in particular, those difficult times have been worsened by some highly controversial decisions, most notably to move away from physical releases by 2028.

The overall market conditions have put consoles in a really difficult place, and news on the next generation of releases hasn’t really emerged, largely because it just doesn’t feel like launching a new console is going to be possible any time soon. That said, whenever it does emerge, there will be a PlayStation 6, and it seems as though specific details have started to come to light thanks to Sony’s movements behind the scenes.

As first reported by MP1st (via GameRant), Sony filed a new patent under 20260199776 A1, detailing a modular PlayStation controller that replaces the familiar DualSense touchpad with something that really would be a massive departure from anything we have seen on a modern controller so far: a detachable touchscreen.

The screen will allow players to control everything, including console menus, settings, notifications, messages, and other system functions. It will also come with a navigation dial designed to allow players to quickly scroll between different areas of the home screen. The controller components also come with magnets to affix certain parts in certain areas, allowing for a truly custom controller.

It also includes built-in notification support for system status messages, DMs from friends, and other information of the same ilk, as well as supposedly including technology that automatically pauses the player’s game while they deal with said notifications.

As with all of the patents filed by Sony over the years, we do also have to take this one with a pinch of salt while we wait for official confirmation of what the company’s plans are. They have filed a lot of similar ideas over the years that never saw the light of day, but it certainly would be interesting to see this one come to fruition.

While we absolutely should be drawing to a close on the current run of hardware around now (if we follow the previous time gaps between consoles), it’s difficult to see how a new console from any of the major manufacturers is going to emerge any time soon. 2027 certainly seems like a pipe dream, but with all of the ill will around right now, it may well be a salient business decision to wait longer to announce the new PlayStation anyway.