Sony Patents PlayStation 5 Faceplates After Threatening Third-Party Makers with Legal Action

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Image: Sony

Official faceplates for the PlayStation 5 could coming sooner rather than later. As discovered by IGN, Sony has finally patented the idea for removable console plates, something that was expected following its disputes against third-party accessory makers Dbrand and Customize My Plates. Both companies were compelled to stop selling custom faceplates after Sony threatened them with legal action.

From IGN’s report:

On at least two different occasions since the launch of the PlayStation 5, Sony has threatened companies with legal action over their plans to sell unofficial faceplates to consumers. Last year the company Customize My Plates announced that it was canceling all pre-sales of its custom-ready PS5 faceplates following legal pressure from Sony. […]

In a separate dispute, Sony sent out a cease-and-desist letter to Canadian peripherals company Dbrand following its plans to release custom faceplates for the console. Dbrand announced that it was pulling its custom faceplates from sale before stating in a separate statement on the company’s subreddit that it would be creating its own range of new PS5 faceplates that were far enough detached from Sony’s original design to risk further infringement.

Sony’s first official faceplate will presumably come in black, a color that would make the PS5 more in line with recent PlayStation consoles. DualSense controllers in custom colors (i.e., black and red) are already available.

Source: USPTO (via IGN)

Tsing Mui
News poster at The FPS Review.

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