While waiting for the Xbox Series X release and controller, Microsoft is improving its old Xbox One controller. This is revealed by a new patent.
Where does the information come from? The website Windowslatest.com pointed to the patent filed by Microsoft. The patent itself can be accessed as a PDF via freepatentsonline.com.
Although the Xbox Series X is set to be released at the end of 2020, Microsoft is continuously working to further improve its current Xbox One controller. For example, Microsoft added a feature that many players had been waiting for.
Xbox One Controller – Metal for Better Durability
What does the patent say? The patent is titled “Thumbstick for User Input Device.” It specifically concerns the joysticks of the Xbox One controller.
According to the patent, Microsoft is now using a metallic base and a metallic shaft for the joysticks. This is intended to make the joystick tougher and more precise, and significantly increase the durability of the controller. Plastic is no longer to be used here.
The patent states, among other things:
The joystick provides higher tension and greater resistance when tilting by the thumb or finger of the user. Some users may prefer a higher tilt tension in the joystick, while others prefer a lower tilt tension.
Source: freepatentsonline.com
And this shift from plastic to metal seems necessary:
- User GyariSan writes: “A friend of mine is a store manager in an Australian electronics store (…) and regularly tells me that Xbox controllers are the most returned electronics devices due to hardware failures. (…) This is due to the thin plastic and the poor resistance of the buttons. (…) The buttons break very quickly or have malfunctions.”
- User djdoubt03 comments: “Maybe this will help the joysticks. I have now had my fifth controller since launch, and I am a 40-year-old and do not play in rage or particularly wildly.”
Will the Xbox One controller change? The design of the new Xbox One controller remains untouched. Anyone who liked the design or manages well with it need not worry.
According to the patent, there are only improvements under the housing of the controller.
- A feature has now been removed in Fortnite, which benefited controller users primarily
- Microsoft had previously presented a concept of a controller for visually impaired players
