Editor’s take: It isn’t typically {that a} patent has a lot of an impression on me – I can largely take them or go away them. Nevertheless, Sony’s latest patent for a controller that doubles as a charger and storage for its upcoming wi-fi earbuds has me rooting for it to make it over the end line.

Sony lately unveiled the PlayStation Portal streaming handheld, an upgraded set of Pulse 3D (now known as Pulse Elite) over-ear headphones, and the all-new Pulse Explorer earbuds. The audio accent is ideal for many who choose buds over cans and options twin mics, lossless audio, AI noise filtering, and a charging case.

Final week, Sony filed a patent for a brand new controller that might pair completely (pun supposed) with its upcoming Pulse Explorer earbuds. Based on diagrams, the controller would have ports on the rear the place customers might slot their buds for charging and storage. The compartments would additionally facilitate pairing.

The design would enable Sony to promote Pulse Explorer with out the charging case, because the controller would exchange the necessity for storage and charging. It might additionally streamline the pairing course of because the buds would companion with the controller with out consumer interplay apart from inserting them within the compartments. Sony’s patent claims that pairing the listening units to the controller quite than the console will create a greater audio connection.

“The earbuds can use the high-speed communication
connection established between the controller and the computing gadget (console) for speaking with the computing gadget, thereby offering a low-latency communication between the earbuds and the computing gadget.”

It is laborious to say what the ultimate design might appear to be. A modified DualSense would make sensible sense, however one thing with a very new look is equally potential. No matter design aesthetics, the patent documentation ensures it could nonetheless have all of the performance of the DualSense, together with the touchpad, haptics, and strain delicate triggers. Sony offered 4 completely different potential variations.

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They’re all the identical besides for a way the earbuds can be oriented when positioned within the gadget. Three of the designs present the compartments on the middle high of the rear. The fourth choice is ports to the perimeters nearer to the controller grips.

In my view, Sony ought to have gone with this concept proper from the beginning and launched it alongside the Pulse Explorers, even when it prompted a delay for the earbuds. As it’s only a patent, there isn’t a assure that this controller will even make it to market, however I like the thought and hope it does.