A new patent to show the controller for Google's game streaming service

Google is working hard on a game streaming service called Project Stream, and we just caught our first look at some of the hardware for it – in particular a gaming controller in a newly published Google patent.

The patent comes with some interesting images attached and it refers to a notification system working between a gaming controller and a gaming system. Based on the patent Sarang Sheth over at Yanko Design put together some excellent renders.

At first glance, the device doesn't look to deviate too much from the standard gamepad controller. It has got two joysticks, four buttons and buttons on the shoulder of the controller and a D-pad as well.

One touch that's typically Google-esque is what looks like a voice control button in the mid – a way of calling up Google Assistant perhaps while you're in the middle of a gaming session.

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Presently it is available in beta testing with just one game: Assassin's Creed Odyssey. You can play it with either an attached controller or a keyboard and a mouse, but this patent is the first look we've been given at some potentially Google-branded devices that might accompany the cloud gaming service. In its current form, Project Stream runs through your browser, doing all the heavy lifting on Google's servers and streaming the gameplay straight to your computer.

As always with patents, it's worth remembering that company plans and hardware designs can change over time. It's by no means certain that Google will keep investing in Project Stream or ever bring out its own controller – but it's certainly thinking about it.

Later this month we may well hear more at the Game Developers Conference – for March 19 Google has a special event in the calendar.