Sony reveals the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller

A proper look at the PlayStation 5 has yet to arrive, but here’s something else with which to stoke the fires of technolust in your soul: A true reveal of the controller that’ll accompany every console. Dropping the DualShock moniker, Sony has revealed the DualSense controller that packs new adaptive L2 and R2 triggers into a frame that also includes a new haptic feedback system, a built-in microphone array and a “create” button to replace the “Share” button that helped kickstart a new generation of console media streaming and content creation.

All that, in a body that is drop-dead sexy.

“After thoughtful consideration, we decided to keep much of what gamers love about DualShock 4 intact, while also adding new functionality and refining the design. Based on our discussions with developers, we concluded that the sense of touch within gameplay, much like audio, hasn’t been a big focus for many games,” Sony Interactive Entertainment senior vice president Hideaki Nishino explained on the PS Blog.

We had a great opportunity with PS5 to innovate by offering game creators the ability to explore how they can heighten that feeling of immersion through our new controller. This is why we adopted haptic feedback, which adds a variety of powerful sensations you’ll feel when you play, such as the slow grittiness of driving a car through mud. We also incorporated adaptive triggers into the L2 and R2 buttons of DualSense so you can truly feel the tension of your actions, like when drawing a bow to shoot an arrow.

This provided us with an exciting challenge to design a new controller that builds off of the current generation, while taking into account the new features we were adding. For example, with adaptive triggers, we had to consider how the components would fit into the hardware, without giving it a bulky feeling. Our design team worked closely with our hardware engineers to place the triggers and actuators.

The designers were then able to draw the lines of how the exterior of the controller would look and feel, with a challenge of making the controller feel smaller than it really looks. In the end, we changed the angle of the hand triggers and also made some subtle updates to the grip. We also took thoughtful consideration into ways to maintain a strong battery life for DualSense’s rechargeable battery, and to lessen the weight of the controller as much as possible as new features were added.

According to Ryan, the Create button will allow “new ways for players to create epic gameplay content to share with the world, or just to enjoy for them,” while the new microphone array will allow for easy quick chats. As for the colour? DualShock controllers two through to four have usually been black, with more vibrant alternatives released as separate purchases over the years. The DualSense has a two-tone colour scheme, and the light bar has been moved to sides so that it can have more of a “pop”.

It’s an eye-catching piece of technology, and if it’s anything like the DualShock 4, it’ll also be a reliable piece of technology built to stand the test of time.

Last Updated: April 8, 2020