An Xbox Series X controller with integrated screen? An interesting concept that the manufacturer Turtle Beach is thinking about. A patent which describes such a terminal has in fact been filed with the American office for the protection of intellectual property. Microsoft is also working on this feature.
Patent filings are interesting, because even if they do not necessarily describe a future product, they give us an idea of the manufacturers’ avenues of work. The patent of the day was filed by Turtle Beach and reveals an Xbox controller with a touch screen.
As you can see, this controller is equipped with a screen. On the diagram, we note that the pad gives various information, such as the battery level, the time, but also data on your performance in game or on your social networks. Important detail, the patent indicates that the controller can not only connect to your console, but also to your smartphone.
A screen on a controller, a far from new idea
Having a screen on a gamepad isn’t a new idea, Sega, for example, already did this on the Dreamcast (1999). However, having a real touch screen that accompanies the player is still rare, even if some tests have been made. Asus, for example, presented a pad with an OLED screen a few months ago: the Raikiri Pro.
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The screen as shown in the patent is a bit different, since it takes up almost the entire front. As a result, it presents an immense technical challenge, particularly in terms of autonomy. A crazy bet from Turtle Beach? Not really. The manufacturer is not the only one to work on the subject since a similar patent had already been filed a few months ago by… Microsoft.
After touchpads and Share buttons, the appearance of screens could therefore be the next big trend for our controllers. This could change the way we interact with the game. Because in addition to various technical information, one could imagine that these screens are used by developers to deliver data inherent to titles launched on the console, such as a map or an inventory. An idea that had already been applied with the Wii U, which had a tablet as a controller.