Sony's Next DualSense Could Get a Touchscreen, Shape-Shifting Grips and NFC Payments

New Sony patents hint at a touchscreen replacing the DualSense touchpad, grips that expand and contract for haptic feedback, and NFC tap-to-pay. Nothing's official yet.

Sony might be cooking up something wild for its next controller. A batch of new patents suggests the follow-up to the DualSense could pack a touchscreen, shape-shifting grips and even NFC payments — and honestly, it sounds like a gadget from a sci-fi flick.

First up, that touchpad in the middle of your DualSense? Sony's patents describe replacing it with a full touchscreen. Instead of just swiping blindly, you could glance down and see your map, inventory or other in-game info right on the controller. No more pausing to dig through menus — your HUD could live in your hands.

Then there's the haptic side of things. The patents describe grips that can expand and contract to fit your palms, which would let vibration travel more precisely through your hands. Imagine feeling a rumble shift from one side of the controller to the other as you steer a car or take a hit — that's the kind of immersion Sony seems to be chasing.

And here's the curveball: NFC tap-to-pay. According to the patents, you'd be able to hold your phone or bank card near the controller to complete a purchase. Whether that means buying games, DLC or microtransactions straight from your couch, Sony's clearly thinking about making the controller a one-stop shop.

Now, before you start budgeting for a DualSense 2.0, a big ol' reality check: these are just patent applications. They don't guarantee any of this will make it into the final product. Sony has a long history of filing patents for experimental concepts, and only a fraction ever see the light of day. So take it all with a healthy grain of salt.

That said, the direction is telling. If even some of these ideas land, the next DualSense wouldn't just be an input device — it could become an all-in-one interactive hub that handles display, haptics and payments. Sony hasn't said a single official word about any of this yet, so we'll have to wait for a proper reveal.

What do you think — is a touchscreen controller genius or overkill? And would you actually trust NFC payments on your gamepad? Drop your take in the comments.