PlayStation 5: Sony reveals new Dual Sense controller
Sony is finally rolling out the PlayStation 5 with Tuesday’s introduction of the DualSense, the new gamepad for the next age console.
With the DualSense, Sony is making a voluntary choice to stray from the decades-long path is created with the DualShock line of gamepads beginning way back in the mid-’90s.
“DualSense indicates a complete change from our past game controller contributions and realises just how great we feel about creating a generational leap with PS5,” Sony Interactive Entertainment head Jim Ryan said in the controller’s announcement post.
Sony’s new controller is a major departure from the DualShock series in design terms, with a two-tone body and stouter form-factor cutting away from the slimmer look of the past two decades.
The key new extension is haptic feedback – replacing the rumble characteristic of early controllers– presenting levels of protection to player movement by simulating, for instance, the slow grittiness of riding through the mud in an offroad racing game. The two triggers will also highlight adaptive feedback in the trigger buttons, so players can feel the pressure and release when, say, firing an arrow from a crossbow.
Certain components, such as the DualShock 4’s central touchpad, have been preserved, although the light bar, which was earlier on the front board of the pad, is now on the face. A mic has also implied so that players can chat to friends without having to plug in an external headset. The power cord now utilises a USB-C port.
Sony PlayStation 5 DualSense controller.
“Our goal with DualSense is to give gamers the sense of being deported into the world of the game as soon as they open the box,” said senior vice president of platform planning and management, Hideaki Nishino, in the announcement blog post. “We want players to think like the controller is an augmentation of themselves when they’re immersed in gaming – so much so that they ignore that they are holding it !”
Finally, the DualShock 4’s Share button, which enabled PlayStation 4 owners to quickly post screenshots and videos of their plays, has been retained but is now called the create button. “We’re already exploring new ways for gamers to create epic gameplay content to share with the world, or just to enjoy the pleasure of gaming,” wrote Nishino. “We’ll have more details on this feature as we get closer to launch.”
The two-tone pattern is something new for PlayStation’s controllers – never have witnessed a console launch with one in the past (they’ve all been solid black or off-white) and could indicate that the console itself is two-tone as well.
Like the PS4 DualShock Controller, the DualSense will be rechargeable with built-in batteries and Sony is promising it’s struggled hard to keep battery life high without appending too much weight to the controller itself.
The release of the controller comes just after a long online presentation by PlayStation 5 system architect, Mark Cerny, in which he announced the console’s technical specs and restated Sony’s desire to find new ways to engage players in the gaming world. It seems the use of haptic feedback in the DualSense controller is intended to accompany the console’s Tempest 3D sound powerhouse, producing clearer, more reliable, placement of in-game audio.
Design-wise, the DualSense has seen some unusual changes. The two handles are less rectangular and have a slight curve along the outer edge. The touchpad is also no longer rectangular and seems to be a bit bigger overall, with two little blue lightbars on each side. approaching the top of the controller, you will observe extended L1 and R1 buttons, as well as — once again — a curvier artistic.
Overall, the DualSense appears to have taken some inspiration from other gaming devices, like the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and the Xbox Elite Controller. That’s not to say they’re identical — the DualSense is still a precisely PlayStation product — but it’s surely more similar to its competitors than previous-gen DualShock gadgets have been.
The new controller, along with the many innovative features in PS5, will be transformative for games – sustaining our purpose at PlayStation to push the boundaries of play, now and in the future.
The look of the PlayStation 5 itself is yet to be disclosed, although the new controller implies a likely move away from the black box pattern of the PS4. The device is still slated for a winter 2020 release, similar to the Xbox Series X console from Microsoft. However, both consoles may encounter manufacturing delays due to coronavirus lockdowns in China, where parts are made.
Ryan said the console design will be revealed: “in the coming months.” But acknowledging the dwindling time from now till launch, many players are now anxious for updates. The expectation is even murkier contemplating Sony already opted to skip gaming conference E3 before it was cancelled due to concerns around the coronavirus, officially named COVID-19. So when Sony planned, or currently plans, to give knowledge on its anticipated console is a secret.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused rippling disruptions in the gaming and tech industries and beyond. But Sony said it does not expect the PlayStation 5 to be delayed.
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