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Sony patents hybrid PS Move/DualShock control

Sony has published a patent for a hybrid controller that combines its DualShock and Move gameplay.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
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Joe Svetlik
2 min read

What madness is this? Our pals over at our sister site GameSpot have unearthed a patent for a Sony controller that combines the standard DualShock with its Move wand.

The result looks a little like a cut and shut, but it could make for a handy space saver, giving gamers the best of both worlds.

The controller would snap together to work as a standard DualShock. But then pull it apart, and you've got both parts of a PlayStation Move controller, for motion-sensitive gaming. A magnetometer and accelerometer enable the motion controls, and there's vibration feedback too. Audio would also play through an embedded speaker, which would be great for receiving radio commands from a squadmate in a first-person shooter, for example.

The patent was originally filed in May last year, but was only published yesterday.

According to one of the diagrams accompanying the patent, the PlayStation Eye camera will work with it, too. It's not clear whether the controller is meant for the PS3 or PS4, so we could be in for a bit of a wait before it hits the shelves. If it ever does, that is.

The PS4 is rumoured to be 'very affordable', unlike the PS3 and other Sony consoles before it. But that doesn't mean it'll scrimp on the specs. It's said to have a Blu-ray drive, a 256GB hard drive, and up to 32GB of RAM. But it could have a fight on its hands. Microsoft is said to be working on an Xbox set-top box for casual gaming, as well as the Xbox 720. Nintendo, meanwhile, launched its Wii U in the UK yesterday. It's bringing out a Wii Mini console in Canada as well, offering casual thrills on a budget.

Would you use this hybrid controller? What next-gen console are you most looking forward to? Let me know in the comments, or on Facebook.

Image credit: Free Patents Online