Sony Patent Reveals DualSense 2 Modular Controller Design

A newly surfaced filing hints at a fully modular design with a detachable touchscreen and a scroll wheel straight out of an old iPod.

If you have been paying close attention to PlayStation hardware rumors, then you should prepare yourself. This is because there has been yet another patent revealed which indicates the next evolution of the controllers from Sony, and it appears that the new iteration will be known as the DualSense 2.

This is more than just a minor update to the current model, and instead promises to change the way in which we use the controller. Back in 2023, Sony gave you the DualSense Edge, which was a pretty big deal at the time since it was the first official Pro-style controller the company had ever put out for a PlayStation system.

Now, based on this newly filed patent, it looks like Sony isn't stopping there. You're potentially getting a controller that's far more ambitious than anything that's come before it, and insiders tracking these filings believe it lines up with what people are calling the DualSense 2.

According to the filing, which went public in the middle of July 2026, Sony is ditching the touchpad you're used to on the current DualSense and replacing it with an actual touchscreen. The document describes this as a modular video game controller, and Sony even attached a sketch showing how it might come together.

Some of the standout features you'd get with the DualSense 2 include a touchscreen you can detach, a dial you rotate to move through menus, magnetic pieces that snap on and off, and built-in tools for handling notifications and quick console settings without leaving your game.

That touchscreen sounds like it's meant to do a lot of heavy lifting.

You'd be able to pull up menus, adjust settings, check messages, and see notifications right there on the controller itself. Pair that with the rotating dial sitting on the opposite side, and you've got a way to scroll through everything without ever having to glance away from your screen.

Twist it to move through options, press it in to confirm what you picked. The patent also notes the touchscreen can be tapped just like your phone, and it might even be clickable on top of that. One of the more interesting details buried in the filing is that the dial and screen aren't fixed in place.

You'd actually be able to move them around the controller since they attach magnetically, meaning you could set things up however feels most comfortable to you. And if a call or message pops up while you're mid-game, the DualSense 2 is said to be able to pause things automatically while you deal with it, so you're not fumbling around trying to alt+tab out of a boss fight.

When this first started making the rounds, it sounded like it might be tied to some kind of Switch-style handheld, especially with all the talk of parts attaching on either side. That was the assumption going in, at least. But once you actually look at the sketch included with the patent, it becomes clear this is really about a fully modular version of the standard DualSense.

You'd be looking at buttons, sticks, a D-pad, and the touchscreen itself all designed to be rearranged magnetically, letting you build the layout that works best for you.

Whether Sony can actually pull that off in a way that feels reliable is anyone's guess, but if it works the way it's described, the DualSense 2 could end up being a genuinely different way to play. It's fair to say that the touchscreen functionality is really the one thing that should take precedence over anything else.

Today, switching on your settings and responding to messages requires pressing the home button and accessing a menu. However, on the DualSense 2 controller, all of this might be done directly from the controller itself without opening any menu on your screen.

You will just need to look down at your controller, access the menu, adjust your audio settings, or reply to a message. It may sound like a minor upgrade, yet once you start using it, it will become quite handy. There is also the rotating dial, which will allow you to navigate through everything as well, similar to scrolling on the old school music player, although many of you will certainly use the touchscreen function anyway.

There's no confirmation yet on whether Sony will actually bring the DualSense 2 to market, but given how many similar patents have popped up around a next-generation PlayStation controller, it's starting to feel less like a one-off idea and more like a direction Sony is seriously exploring.

Whether it lands alongside a PS6 or shows up as some kind of upgraded Pro controller down the line, the DualSense 2 concept is shaping up to be one of the more ambitious swings Sony has taken at controller design in years.