Sony has revealed the DualSense,
PlayStation 5's new controller that will "bring a sense of touch to PS5 gameplay."
Announced on
PlayStation.Blog, the DualSense will keep "much of what gamers love about DualShock 4 intact, while also adding new functionality and refining the design." Touch was a big inspiration when designing the DualSense, and haptic feedback is one of the ways this new controller will help bring PS5 games to life.
Sony mentions that these feedback will add " a variety of powerful sensations you’ll feel when you play, such as the slow grittiness of driving a car through mud." Adaptive triggers have also been incorporated to the L2 and R2 buttons, which will help "feel the tension of your actions, like when drawing a bow to shoot an arrow."
Fitting these new features into a brand new controller was a challenge for the design team, and they worked closely with PlayStation's hardware engineers to make the controller somehow feel smaller than it would end up being. The angle of the hand triggers was changed and some subtle updates were made to the grip. They also took "thoughtful consideration" into how to keep a strong battery life for the DualSense, and to ensure the weight of the controller did not get out of hand.
One thing that will be missing from the DualSense is the "Share" button that was featured on the DualShock 4. Sharing from the controller is not gone, but that previous button was replaced by the new "Create" button. Sony promises more details will be revealed on this change in as we get closer to PlayStation 5's launch.
DualSense will also have a built-in microphone array that will allow players to easily chat with friends, even without owning a headset.
As for the controller's color, it is a bit of a non-traditional design as far as PlayStation is concerned. Usually, PlayStation controllers have a single color, but the DualSense has a two-toned design to make it stand apart. Additionally, the position of the light bar, which will be returning, was moved to "give it an extra pop." Now, the light bar sits on either side of the touch pad, as opposed to the top of the controller.
PlayStation went through "several concepts and hundreds of mockups over the last few years" before this final design was reached, and it was tested on gamers with a wide variety of handsizes to ensure maximum comfort for as many as possible.
“DualSense marks a radical departure from our previous controller offerings and captures just how strongly we feel about making a generational leap with PS5," Jim Ryan, President & CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, said in a statement. "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.”