Sony patents Move controller that goes hot and cold in your hand

Console maker breaks new ground on controller feedback

Chris KempOctober 13, 2012

Tactile feedback is something we’ve had from our game controllers for quite some time, the N64 had a Rumble Pak, and all contemporary Sony and Microsoft consoles produce a fair amount of shakes and vibrations to enhance the feeling of immersion in a game.

However, since the introduction of vibrations in controllers more than 10 years ago, we haven’t seen much in terms of physical feedback – console developers have focused on the likes of motion detection and 3D.

But now it would appear that Sony is looking to introduce a new form of controller feedback – the ability to go hot and cold. A new patent dug up by Kotaku shows a Move controller with an internal band capable of either heating up or cooling down.

According to the patent, this could be used in a number of different ways. One example given is the heating up of an automatic weapon after continuous fire, the controller would become hot to show that the weapon was overheating. This is a mechanic we’ve seen in games before; guns heat up and the player has to wait for them to cool down before they can fire again. This could be relayed by changing temperatures in the controller as well as the glowing orb on top – which could transition from red to blue.

Other examples given by Sony is if a player was hit by a fireball the controller would become hot, or it could heat up when nearing an object that isn’t otherwise visible on screen.

If none of that sways you, how about the ability to cool sweaty palms?

The concept certainly is intriguing, and could definitely open the door for some very cool applications (see what I did thar?).