Okay. Well. Here we are. We’ve all been waiting with bated breath for what the Sony PlayStation 5’s controller will look like. Would Sony’s vanguard into the next generation keep up their traditional DualShock scheme? Or would they make a big swing? Now, the answer is here, and it is… more than a little puzzling. Introducing: The DualSense, the official PS5 controller.
Image via Sony
This is… odd looking. Right? Am I crazy? Typically, Sony’s modern PlayStation controllers have been sleek, monochromatic (cooler than cool black by default), and particularly “grown up” in comparison to their competitors. But this controller looks like a combination of a Nintendo Switch Pro controller and a Sega Dreamcast controller — two of the most whimsical consoles ever made! It looks thick and curvy. It looks inviting rather than elite. It has a predominantly white palette (!) with black and blue sneaking in there for a strange duo-tone color scheme. It is the DualSense. And it is… very weird!
In an official statement, here’s what Sony President & CEO Jim Ryan had to say about the new scheme:
DualSense marks a radical departure from our previous controller offerings and captures just how strongly we feel about making a generational leap with PS5. The new controller, along with the many innovative features in PS5, will be transformative for games – continuing our mission at PlayStation to push the boundaries of play, now and in the future. To the PlayStation community, I truly want to thank you for sharing this exciting journey with us as we head toward PS5’s launch in Holiday 2020. We look forward to sharing more information about PS5, including the console design, in the coming months.
“Radical departure”? Buddy, that’s an understatement! Beyond Ryan’s metaphorical take on the new design, here’s Sony Senior Vice President, Platform Planning & Management Hideaki Nishino getting into the strategy behind the controller’s newer, larger, friendlier optics.
Image via Sony
In all, we went through several concepts and hundreds of mockups over the last few years before we settled on this final design. DualSense has been tested by a wide range of gamers with a variety of hand sizes, in order for us to achieve the comfort level we wanted, with great ergonomics. Our goal with DualSense is to give gamers the feeling of being transported into the game world as soon as they open the box. We want gamers to feel like the controller is an extension of themselves when they’re playing – so much so that they forget that it’s even in their hands!
Frightening cyberpunk implications of that last comment notwithstanding, I gain a sense of optimism hearing Nishino’s comments here. I will say that my hand has cramped up with the PS4 controller more than their Nintendo rivals, and hearing that the new design’s primary goal is “ergonomic comfort and intuition” feels helpful toward the marathon gaming sessions that are sure to occur.
On a technical level, the DualSense will introduce “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.” Also adding to this level of immersion? “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.” While I personally tend to prefer “quality games” over “technological advancements” when it comes to console features, I must admit this sounds pretty cool. I can see such components very easily making me feel like Lara Croft, which is to say, “pretty cool.” Nishino goes on to say he worked hard with countless engineers on the best way to place and facilitate these new components, likely resulting in the new, curvier look.
Okay. I’m feeling better and more optimistic about the whole thing. The color scheme is still… “really something,” but its newfound curviness and features actually sound quite enjoyable. Thanks for going on this journey with me, friends. The PlayStation 5 is scheduled to be in stores during 2020’s holiday season. For more on the console, here’s some intel about its backwards compatibility.
