Heartbeat Sensor on Dualshock 5

[Deleted member 13524]

Heartbeat sensor, there's your reason for $450 BOM increase.

PS. The heartbeat monitors and sweat analyzers all but confirms a 8TFlop system. It's clearly a built in medical safety system that auto-dials 911 when you start to witness the frame-rate tanking on your new $500 system. Cerny thinks of everything.

Sony’s PlayStation 5 Controller Might Monitor Your Heart Rate, Sweaty Palms

Here's the patent in question:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20200054940.pdf

An example of a sensor that provides a new input that could be utilised to tailor content for users is one that measures electrodermal activity (EDA). Such sensors are able to measure electrical conductance or voltage between two points - in this case, between two areas of a user's skin.

The patent's pictures describe the controller's palm grips as being used as electrodes like the simpler EDA electrodes we see in eliptical trainers and treadmills.


This isn't the first time we've seen this idea in videogames. Nintendo wanted to launch the Vitality Sensor for the Wii, over a decade ago, but it was ultimately cancelled.
Though the Vitality Sensor was probably more advanced than just a heart-rate monitor. The shape of it resembled the finger sensors that are used in hospitals for heart rate and oxygen saturation levels. I'm guessing at some point Nintendo feared that people would try to use the Vitality Sensor as a medical device which could put them in legal trouble.

The heart rate sensor coming in all DS5 controllers seems cool, but it raises some questions. For example, in the era of GDPR, exactly how safe would our biosignals be?
Also, the grips on the DS5 would need to be at least plated by a conducting metal, probably steel. Which attracts sweat like crazy.

And then in which kinds of games would the heartrate monitor be useful? Nintendo was going to use it on horror games which seems to be the most obvious... but is it worth it to spend money on a feature that is only useful on a single genre that isn't even the most profitable no matter how good the games are (I mean just look at Alien Isolation..).

 

[AlphaWolf]

Now there's a solution looking for a problem.

 

[milk]

An idea so bad even Nintendo gave a pass on.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Now there's a solution looking for a problem.

What problem do videogames solve?

 

[Scott_Arm]

Accurately tracking calories burned while gaming.

 

[AlphaWolf]

What problem do videogames solve?

Maybe I could answer that question if I knew my current heartbeat.

 

[disco_]

Sony’s PlayStation 5 Controller Might Monitor Your Heart Rate, Sweaty Palms

Here's the patent in question:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20200054940.pdf



The patent's pictures describe the controller's palm grips as being used as electrodes like the simpler EDA electrodes we see in eliptical trainers and treadmills.


This isn't the first time we've seen this idea in videogames. Nintendo wanted to launch the Vitality Sensor for the Wii, over a decade ago, but it was ultimately cancelled.
Though the Vitality Sensor was probably more advanced than just a heart-rate monitor. The shape of it resembled the finger sensors that are used in hospitals for heart rate and oxygen saturation levels. I'm guessing at some point Nintendo feared that people would try to use the Vitality Sensor as a medical device which could put them in legal trouble.

The heart rate sensor coming in all DS5 controllers seems cool, but it raises some questions. For example, in the era of GDPR, exactly how safe would our biosignals be?
Also, the grips on the DS5 would need to be at least plated by a conducting metal, probably steel. Which attracts sweat like crazy.

And then in which kinds of games would the heartrate monitor be useful? Nintendo was going to use it on horror games which seems to be the most obvious... but is it worth it to spend money on a feature that is only useful on a single genre that isn't even the most profitable no matter how good the games are (I mean just look at Alien Isolation..).

I'm a cheap ass. I don't like the idea that both this heartbeat sensor AND the patent for wireless charging in console/controller might make the DS5 a $100 controller or the ps5 a weaker/more expensive console because sony would rather spend $15 on those things rather than an extra 100g of copper or a die 40mm2 bigger. The PRO was already too much of a letdown cause they decided to chase $399. Don't do it to me again Cerny.

 

[orangpelupa]

I'm a cheap ass. I don't like the idea that both this heartbeat sensor AND the patent for wireless charging in console/controller might make the DS5 a $100 controller or the ps5 a weaker/more expensive console because sony would rather spend $15 on those things rather than an extra 100g of copper or a die 40mm2 bigger. The PRO was already too much of a letdown cause they decided to chase $399. Don't do it to me again Cerny.

Nah, they'll simply skimp on the bTtery again aqnd jt will die in q hours when those sensors are used.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Innovative accessories in gaming never came up to solve problems. They came up in attempts to make things more fun and increase immersiveness.

An input that measures heart rate is an input that measures excitement and fear to a certain degree, and that could open the doors to a number of interesting new gameplay ideas. In a horror game, it lets them release a jump scare with the perfect timing which is something a movie could ever do.

It wouldn't cost $15. It's a couple of grams of conductive material on the controller plus an instrument amplifier IC. It's way less than a dollar.

I'm a cheap ass. I don't like the idea that both this heartbeat sensor AND the patent for wireless charging in console/controller might make the DS5 a $100 controller or the ps5 a weaker/more expensive console because sony would rather spend $15 on those things rather than an extra 100g of copper or a die 40mm2 bigger. The PRO was already too much of a letdown cause they decided to chase $399. Don't do it to me again Cerny.

Didn't Sony confirm the DS4 would work on the PS5?
If so, case solved for you.

 

[zed]

Obviously gonna be used to see if you have covid-19, the question is how did sony know about covid months ago, do they have any labs in wuhan?

 

[Michellstar]

Oh, Sony spying on you

 

[orangpelupa]

Not just go horror.

Would be pretty useful for "love sim" or something like summer lesson.

Hmm maybe even for creative mini games. Kojima probably already got a few weird ideas

 

[Nesh]

How many developers are willing to exploit a potential gimmick when no other platform has the feature?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

How many developers are willing to exploit a potential gimmick when no other platform has the feature?

Answered by analysing how many devs employed the use of motion controls or the touch-pad in PS4 games. And dividing that by four.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

So the sentiment here is:
- Screw innovation, we all just want moar frames and moar pixels. It's better to never try something innovative than to risk ever failing at all. We're content with our 15 year-old gamepads leave us alone.

Got it.

 

[PSman1700]

An idea so bad even Nintendo gave a pass on.

I highly doubt Sony is going to include a heartbeat sensor in their DS5 controller. If they pull off something like that one can wonder what more gimmicks like that made it into final hardware. Yes they have done the Cell but that's a long time ago.

So the sentiment here is:
- Screw innovation, we all just want moar frames and moar pixels. It's better to never try something innovative than to ever fail at all. We're content with our 15 year-old gamepads leave us alone.

Across all forums ive not seen many being enthusiastic about Sony maybe including a heartbeat sensor in the DS5. That sentiment isn't only here.
I mean comon, a freaking heartbeat sensor, not even nintendo is going to do that. Inventions cost resources, even a heartrate monitor, i sure hope they could go to about anything else.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

And we must all follow the flock of negativity and not even attempt to discuss what a new form of input based on biosignals could ever be used for.

Yes, I got that too.

 

[AlphaWolf]

Yes and after this amazing 'innovation' they could add a blood glucose monitor and surely a sleep cycle monitor would be inevitable. Then they could increase the battery capacity and have it function as an AED.

 

[BRiT]

Could be used for Kinect-like Yoga game, where you attempt to obtain peaceful meditation.
Could be used for Kinect-like Fitness game, where you attempt to obtain cardio or burn zones.

All while holding this controller.

 

[milk]

Could be used for Kinect-like Yoga game, where you attempt to obtain peaceful meditation.
Could be used for Kinect-like Fitness game, where you attempt to obtain cardio or burn zones.

All while holding this controller.

My memory is very fuzzy on this one, but I recall Ubisoft had that in development for Wii's vitality sensor which never got off the ground, and then they promoted their own sensor and that too did not come to release. We also had all the discussions of the hypothetical uses of such kind of sensor, but I believe it didn't materialize because it doesn't work as well in practice as is can in speculation.