In its most radical departure since the original PlayStation controller design (no, we’re not including the boomerang from E3 2005), Sony has announced that the new controller for PlayStation 5 will be called DualSense.
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Keeping some heritage from the DualShock branding that the company has used since 1997, the DualSense name refers to the touch and haptic features of the new controller.
The new design, which almost takes design cues (not really) from the Handheld Portal Device, distills much of the classic PlayStation sensibility into a very futuristic package.
Clear plastic buttons on both sides of the front act as the four way directional pad as well as the classic triangle, circle, X, and square buttons. The Start button and a new Create button (this replaces the DualShock 4’s Share button but will have expanded functionality) flank the new wider, more trapezoidal touch pad.
The light bar returns, though it surrounds the touch pad on its face, rather than pointing towards away from the user.
The device has a built-in battery that charges via USB Type-C, and while Sony hasn’t released official measurements of the controller, they do say that they worked hard to balance the weight of the controller and the battery life it provides.
Perhaps the most exciting feature of the DualSense is haptic feedback, which the PlayStation.Blog says “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.”
The controller itself now features a built-in microphone array, so gamers do not have to plug in a separate headset to be social in a game, though the quality of the audio through them, of course, remains to be seen.
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.
SIE President & CEO Jim Ryan
What do you think about the DualSense for PlayStation 5? Is this a sign of what the console may look like, with a two-toned white and black exterior?
Once the PlayStation 5 hardware design is released, we’ll be sure to let you know and break down all its features!