The details on the PS5 have been so closely guarded for so long that when information is released, its always a pleasant surprise. That was the case when they took to a live press conference revealing some of the more precise technical details regarding the PS5 hardware, and it’s the case now with the reveal of the new PS5 controller.
Dubbed the DualSense, the controller has been designed by Sony with the ultimate goal of immersing the player within the game they are playing more so than any controller in the past – hence the “Sense” part of its name.
Their press release also spoke about how they are looking to build on the successes of the past, (namely the DualShock 4) and how Sony could bring about the future of console gaming without abandoning what had been made great about it so far.
New Features Of The PS5 Controller
The very first thing revealed about the PS5 controller is that it is going to feature haptic feedback. What is haptic feedback you ask? It’s a method of feedback that applies directly to the senses. The most popular and common form of haptic feedback is the vibrate feature in phones or the rumble of a controller.
Sony promised much more than the traditional rumble of a controller though. They spoke about being able to experience “the slow grittiness of a car driving through mud”, so it will be interesting to see just how Sony expands the use of haptic feedback in the controller, and how it will translate to in-game use.
Another exciting feature announced was adaptive triggers. With adaptive triggers, players can expect a degree of resistance when they use the L2/R2 triggers when they engage in certain gameplay. For example, a game designer can crank the adaptive resistance of a trigger up gradually as a player draws a bow, or alter its resistance as a gamer goes through the gears as they drive. Something to look forward to for sure, and a feature that goes alongside the haptic feedback in accomplishing a higher level of player engagement in-game.
Another huge addition to the DualSense is the inclusion of a built-in microphone to the controller itself. A long-requested addition, the inbuilt microphone is said to allow for quick and easy communication with friends and other players – but that gamers should keep a headset handy for when you want to chat for longer periods.
Also, Sony has done away with the share button, so that they can add what they are calling the “create” button. Apparently, this (like the share button) will allow gamers more ways to capture and create moments from their gameplay, either for themselves, for friends or for the world at large. It’s unclear right now how this button is actually going to work, but Sony has promised more details as time goes on.
Finally, we get to battery life. Whilst Sony hasn’t explicitly said that they are going to be extending the battery life of the DualSense in comparison to the DualShock 4, they did talk about wanting to maintain a high quality of battery life in their new controller, suggesting that there won’t be any downgrading.
Also, a very welcome addition to the controller is its USB-C charging port. Finally, PlayStation fans will be able to enjoy high speed charging from the most modern and adaptable USB charger yet – that’s also capable of data transfer.
The Design Of The PlayStation DualSense
The DualSense is the biggest departure from traditional PlayStation controller design in the history of their brand. Ever since the PlayStation One, their controllers have adopted a monochromatic color scheme that matches the console itself – not so with the PS5 controller.
Sony has opted to use a blend of both black and white for their new controller, a two-toned color scheme that even the official press release acknowledges is a break in their tradition.
Alongside the change in color, you also have the light bar that was found on the DS4 moving. On the DualSense, the lightbar is on the front of the controller, flanking each side of the touchpad to allow for a touch more color in the controller when needed – and giving the impression of a larger touchpad.
Apparently, the DualSense has also been tested with a variety of gamers with different hand sizes too, and Sony claims that they all found the DualSense comfortable and easy to use.
As far as design goes on a personal level, I think it’s great. The two-tone color scheme combined with the smooth curves of the controller itself gives the DualSense a very futuristic vibe, something that I didn’t think I wanted, but it turns out I very much did.
What Does This Say About The PS5
While the reveal of a controller might not tell much about the console it will serve, there are a few things that we can assume from the new controllers reveal.
First and foremost is that Sony is prioritizing engrossing and engaging gameplay and that they want their players to feel as involved in their stories as possible. Why do we know this? Well, the PS5’s SSD specifications suggest that games aren’t only going to be capable of building out larger and more in-depth environments to play in, but that they are also going to have incredibly low (or no) load times, meaning that a gamer is never going to be removed from the world in which they are playing for a load screen.
Combine this with the controller. Sony has placed an emphasis on calling this the DualSense, which suggests to me that they want to use their controller as a way to keep players engaged in the world they are playing in, even if they aren’t consciously aware of how it’s affecting them.
Take the haptic feedback for example – combined with engrossing storytelling, enriched and well built out worlds with next-gen graphics and minuscule load times, it seems that players are going to be more involved than ever in the games that they play.
This is only my take away though, and I may be reading too far into things – though all signs point to Sony trying to capture a deeper involvement in the narrative rich games that have become synonymous with their brand.
Got a thought on the new controller you want to share? Like it? Don’t like it? Is it missing something you wanted? Let us know in the comments below.