Sony Interactive Entertainment has today revealed the first images and design details of the DualSense wireless controller, the new wireless controller for PlayStation 5. Building on the successes of the DualShock 4 controller, DualSense is set to captivate more of the player’s senses as they interact with the virtual worlds in PS5 games. The features of DualSense, along with PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, will deliver a new feeling of immersion to players.
The DualSense will also do away with the Share button Sony introduced with the DualShock 4; it will be replaced by something new.
According to a post on the PlayStation Blog from Hideaki Nishino, senior vice president of platform planning and management at Sony Interactive Entertainment, the DualSense’s haptic 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.”
“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,” Nishino said.
As for the Share button, Nishino explains that Sony is building upon that feature with a “Create” button.
“With Create, we’re once again pioneering new ways for players to create epic gameplay content to share with the world, or just to enjoy for themselves,” Nishino said. “We’ll have more details on this feature as we get closer to launch.”
The DualSense also features a built-in microphone array, “which will enable players to easily chat with friends without a headset — ideal for jumping into a quick conversation,” said Nishino. “But of course, if you are planning to chat for a longer period, it’s good to have that headset handy.”
As seen in the gallery below, the DualSense will diverge from past DualShock controllers with a two-tone color scheme. Sony has repositioned the DualShock 4’s light bar to hug the left and right sides of the touchpad, and the iconic PlayStation face buttons are now monochrome, instead of multicolored. The DualSense charges via USB-C, with the port located on top of the controller, and it appears to feature a microphone mute button beneath the PlayStation logo/home button.
“DualSense marks a radical departure from our previous controller offerings and captures just how strongly we feel about making a generational leap with PS5,” said Jim Ryan, president, and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. “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.”
Ryan recommitted to the holiday 2020 launch window for the PlayStation 5, and promised to share more information, “including the console design, in the coming months.”
The PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller will have a built-in 3.5 mm headphone jack, a Sony employee confirmed Tuesday night on Twitter.
“Still have an audio jack so you can plug in your own headsets like DS4,” said Toshimasa Aoki, director of product management at Sony Interactive Entertainment, referring to the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 controller in response to a question on Twitter.