A patent, as well as a number of images for a Google-branded gaming controller has been revealed via a post on the RepsUp100 Twitter page, suggesting that Google will soon enter the gaming industry with their own dedicated console.

In may of 2018, NerdBacon became the first outlet to reveal the impending arrival into the booming gaming industry of what we dubbed as the titans: Google, Apple, and Amazon – and that their arrival was having an effect behind the scenes on the established players.

Our reports were later confirmed in October of last year when Google announced that they were developing Project Stream – a streaming service that would allow the streaming of high-end, triple-A titles to anyone with Google Chrome browser.

Soon after, Google launched an invite-only test of the service with Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, the latest, critically acclaimed entry in the Assassin’s Creed series.

While Google’s main focus has been on testing Project Stream, the revelation of a Google-dedicated controller confirms that the company plans on introducing a traditional, digital-only console. In fact, NerdBacon has learned that Google has been quietly recruiting exclusive content for their device from some of the biggest studios in gaming.

The images of the Google gaming controller show a very generic design; sort of a crossover between a PlayStation 4 DualShock and the controller for the Xbox One. However, the patent that accompanied the images points to an intriguing feature: the ability to alert players to an incoming chat request. As we can see in the images, there is a small button between the two analogue sticks displaying the familiar Google voice chat icon. While we don’t know for sure what the chat functionality of Google’s new gaming console will be, it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to believe that the function is built into either the controller or the system itself.

Built in voice functions, along with seamless integration with Google’s Chrome web browser, could lead to some intriguing possibilities. Imagine being able to communicate with friends online without the need for a headset. Or, what if you were stuck in a particular area of a game and you could utilize the voice functionality of the system to bring up an online walk-through of the game on a picture-in-picture screen in Chrome – all without having to actually leave the game you’re playing?

While those scenarios must all be relegated to speculation for now, one thing is very clear; the gaming landscape as we know it, is about to change forever. Google is a gargantuan company with nearly infinite resources. The arrival of a company this big, let alone the impending arrival of Amazon and Apple, will have a long-lasting ripple effect.

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long for answers. Google will officially reveal their new system at a special event during the upcoming Game Developers Conference on March 19th, 2019.