Skip to main content

Google gaming console controller design, features reportedly revealed in patent

A newly discovered patent may have shown the design and features of the controller for Google’s rumored gaming console, which will reportedly be revealed this month.

The patent is not for the controller itself, but rather for a notification system. It will enable the controller to let the player know if a game becomes available, if the player has received an invitation, if there are changes on a leaderboard, and if a chat request was received.

Recommended Videos

The document, filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, comes with images that reveal the design of the controller, which resembles the PlayStation 4 DualShock controller.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are two joysticks, a directional pad, four gameplay buttons, and pairs of shoulder and trigger buttons. There also appear to be home and back buttons at the top part of the controller, a circular button that Google referred to in the patent as an action button, and microphone button in between the joysticks that may hint at compatibility with Google Assistant.

The patent was filed in October last year, and is a continuation of a previous filing that was lodged in 2014. This means that there may have been changes to the controller’s design, if the patent is indeed for the rumored Google gaming console.

That did not stop people from creating unofficial renders based on the patent’s technical sketches though, with Sarang Sheth, editor of Yanko Design, coming up with these:

The rumored Google gaming console is known as Project Yeti, which aims to run high-performance titles on Google’s machines and then stream them to devices owned by players. Part of Project Yeti is Project Stream, which ended a three-month demo in January that successfully streamed Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on Chrome browsers.

The hardware for Project Yeti reportedly started as a Chromecast dongle, but it has since evolved into a console and controller that were designed by Google, which is rumored to be revealed at the Game Developers Conference on March 19.

It remains unclear if the controller in the discovered patent will be what Google will unveil at GDC 2019, if the rumors are true. The event is just a week away though, so official confirmation may arrive soon.

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…
New report discovers one culprit behind Nintendo game leaks: Google
Zelda holding the decayed Master Sword in Tears of the Kingdom.

Some recent Nintendo leaks may have come from inside the house. According to 404 Media, a Google employee with access to private YouTube videos leaked the information ahead of official reveals.

The outlet reported Monday that it received a copy of an internal Google database used to track security issues dating back six years. One of the many incidents listed involved a Google employee who had apparently "accessed private videos in Nintendo’s YouTube account, and leaked information ahead of Nintendo’s planned announcements."

Read more
Google has a magical new way for you to control your Android phone
Holding the Google Pixel 8 Pro, showing its Home Screen.

You don’t need your hands to control your Android phone anymore. At Google I/O 2024, Google announced Project Gameface for Android, an incredible new accessibility feature that will let users control their devices with head movements and facial gestures.

There are 52 unique facial gestures supported. These include raising your eyebrow, opening your mouth, glancing in a certain direction, looking up, smiling, and more. Each gesture can be mapped to an action like pulling down the notification shade, going back to the previous app, opening the app drawer, or going back to home. Users can customize facial expressions, gesture sizes, cursor speed, and more.

Read more
Google loses landmark antitrust lawsuit against Epic Games
Tinder on the GooglePlay App Store.

Google has lost a landmark case against Epic Games after a jury decided on Monday that the web giant operates an illegal monopoly via its Android app store.

The decision was announced at the end of a month-long trial that itself was part of a longer legal dispute between Google and Epic Games that’s been rumbling on since 2020.

Read more