Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke was definitely onto something when he said that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” I don't have a clue how our gaming hardware works, and I'm sure even those of us who can build a PC blindfolded don't know the ins and outs of exactly how these things do what they do. Like Clarke said, it's basically magic.
Sometimes the geniuses behind these things try to explain it, though - like Sony have with their new patent.
Check out our video that introduced PS5's DualSense controller back when it was the hot new thing!
As with every patent, we're not sure if it will be mass produced, or even built, but we think the idea behind this sounds pretty cool. What Sony have patented is a new type of controller that uses non-Newtonian fluids to create hydraulic resistance in the analogue sticks. Bit of a mouthful? Maybe an image will help.
Or maybe it won't help at all. We'll try to explain; Non-Newtonian fluids are fluids that change viscosity when pressure is added - meaning, they don't always act like liquids. They flow differently depending on how much pressure is added to them. Picture a doughy substance that you can squeeze into a ball in your hand, but when you unclench your first, it flows between your fingers. That's a non-Newtonian liquid, in that it sometimes acts like a solid.
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How does this come into Sony's new controller patent? Well, it's all to do with the analogue sticks. As this liquid flows differently depending on how much pressure is added, it will be used in the base of the sticks, and react to how much pressure you apply with your thumbs. We can't imagine what implications this pressure precision will have, but it's pretty cool to think about. Hopefully we'll hear more about this in an official DualSense upgrade announcement soon.
Featured Image Credit: Hello Im Nick, Kamil S via UnSplashTopics: Sony, PlayStation 5, PlayStation