SonyPatent applicationPhones & computersInterest 7/10

Sony patents game controller sticks that slide out for easy replacement

Patent drawing from the official filing.

Sony has filed a patent for a game controller where the joystick module is a separate, detachable unit. The design uses a guide and connector to let the stick slide in and out along the front-rear axis, allowing users to swap out worn parts without replacing the entire controller.

Why it mattersThis could make game controllers more durable and cheaper to fix, as users can replace just the joystick instead of the whole device.

In the filing’s own words

A part provided with an operation member in an input device is enabled to be replaced easily. The input device includes a stick unit (30) including an operation stick ( 13) and a circuit for detecting movement of the operation stick. A main body (10) of the input device has a housing recessed portion (U 10) that opens upward and rearward and houses the stick unit. The stick unit is attachable to and detachable from the housing recessed portion.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An operation stick unit comprising: an operation stick; a supporting mechanism supporting the operation stick; a circuit board on which a circuit for detecting movement of the operation stick is formed; an electrical connector mounted on the circuit board and configured to be electrically connected to an input device along a front-rear axis; and a guide extending along the front-rear axis.

Facts

Company: Sony (Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.)
Official title: INPUT DEVICE AND OPERATION STICK UNIT
Publication number: US20260310309A1
Application number: 19703859
Filed: Jun 10, 2026
Published: Oct 8, 2026
Inventors: 2
Claims: 15

Classified under

G06F 3/0338 Physics & computingA63F 13/24 Human necessities

Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.