In a stellar catch from IGN, an update to a patent filed by Sony seems to suggest the company is working on a back button attachment for the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller.
The design appears reminiscent of the back button attachment made for the PlayStation 4 DualShock controller, and seems like it’d likely function in a similar manner. The patent’s paperwork was initially filed back in June 2020 with the update published to the World Intellectual Property Organization database on February 4.
With the update, it seems like we may see the release of this back button attachment sometime this year, although nothing has been formally announced by Sony just yet.
Back Button For DualSense Controller Rumored To Be In The Works
If you loved the back button attachment for the PS4’s DualShock controller, we have a spot of good news as it seems one is being made for the PS5’s DualSense controller as well.
As for how the back button works in conjunction with the DualSense controller, the following description can be found on the page for it via the World Intellectual Property Organization:
“A controller add-on includes a housing that mechanically couples to a game controller body. A conformable surface of the housing is configured to conform with a bottom of the body of the game controller.
A plurality of buttons coupled to the housing are located opposite the conformable surface. A controller interface coupled to the housing is configured to communicatively couple to the plurality of buttons to the game controller.
Buttons on the add-on may be mapped to controller buttons using customized button mapping pre-sets. A button mapping may indicate that a selected preset is to be hidden during a switching operation Upon receiving a switching operation input, the selected pre-set is skipped during the switching operation.”
The description notes that the back button attachment couples with the game controller and offers buttons that can be custom mapped. As for why one might want to purchase a back button for their DualSense, the back button attachment can be quite useful when looking at it with accessibility in mind.
If any of the DualSense’s buttons are hard, or even painful to reach and use over time, you can potentially map them to the back button attachment instead.
A few examples of buttons that you may want to map to the back button attachment include the Create and Options buttons, and the little button that mutes the controller’s internal mic that’s located under the center PS logo.
Ultimately the way you use the attachment would be entirely up to you, and it’s worth noting that while we have more of a confirmation of the back button’s existence, we don’t know if Sony is currently manufacturing the accessory.
Or, if they’ve begun to manufacture the product, how long it’ll take before pre-orders are available. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as additional information on the back button attachment for the DualSense controller is made available.
Until then, it’s just nice to know that Sony seems to have the intent to release a back button attachment for the DualSense controller.
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