Sony introduces the new PS5 controller "DualSense"

Out of nowhere Sony decided to post on their official blog a reveal for the newest in the line of Dual Shock controllers, the brand new Dual Sense for the upcoming Playstation 5.

Some of the key take aways

• Haptic feedback - allowing for differentiated levels of rumble on each trigger
• Adaptive triggers - referring to their "bow drawing" tech that is still sort of a mystery as to how it will work in practice
• Built in microphone for chat
• "Create" button to replace the share button, and apparently the options buttons is getting changed into the hamburger menu icon like how Xbox does it (and everyone mocks them for it)
• Built in rechargeable battery

Overall this is somewhat underwhelming just like the Xbox Series X controller reveal. Console games are getting more complex and certain games are already taxing the input limit you have to deal with when using a pad as opposed to a keyboard and mouse. I was hoping for actual innovation in terms of letting players hotswap weapons easier in shooters as opposed to relegating everything to a weapon wheel, or some solution for quicker Hot Slot management.

Looks like it's going to be another generation of the same issues and same limitations, but now your triggers rumble different.

Seems alright to me. Dual Shock 3 is excellent as is so I wasn't really looking for much, if anything. Though, slightly surprised they didn't implement those extra back buttons that are on that new accessory thing. Either they came up with that idea too late for it to be implemented into the controller, or it's to cut cost since most people probably don't need those buttons. Perhaps a Sony "Elite" controller equivalent is on the way that'll have it built in. I suspect that accessory works with this as well.

I hope they didn't get rid of the textured plastic where your hands grip as that is probably my most surprising and favorite little thing about the DS3. Great for sweaty hands.

As a racing game dude, I'm curious how the adaptive triggers work. And I'm wondering if the system will be white. Also looks like they went with the clear buttons/d-pad like the Vita has.

Not a fan of the DS3 thumbsticks though. Hopefully I can use my homemade, custom DS2 sticks on this one as well.

I like how it looks. I'm excited for PS5.

It's less underwhelming to me than the Xbox SX controller for sure, because all that one did was throw on one new button. I'm mostly just really happy they made the PS5 one thicker. The white design looks a bit ugly, but it's interesting at least. The clear d-pad buttons are neat. I just wish they would have made the sticks larger, I'm not a fan of the super small sticks current gen introduced. I like the home button shape, that's neat. The start and share buttons both look much easier to press in now. Also I'm going to throw out a guess that the PS5 console will also be white & black.

I see a red door and I want it painted black...

Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers both sound cool on paper but it's hard to judge how effective they are without getting hands on with a controller. I wonder if this means existing controllers won't work with PS5 games? It's great that Xbox One controllers will work with the Series X and I was hoping Sony would follow suit.

Looks like a 14 year old's kewl controller mod.

It seems fine, I don't really need to be wowed by a controller I need it to feel good to use. Playstations had a pretty solid record of that so far and I don't see anything looking at that to give me any particular concern.

It needs to feel really good because Sony nailed the DS4. I use(d) all sorts of controllers and am always bummed out when some PC games won't let me use the DS4, even though the alternatives at my disposal (360 and XOne controllers) are mostly fine.

The design is ok. I'd probably opt for an all-black or all-white variant.

to my eyes it looks a lil chunkier, which i'm ok with. almost like warped nintendo switch pro controller, which is pretty comforable in my hands.

the color-scheme isn't great, but that's easily fixed.

It's one of those things I need to get my hands on. I'm not a huge fan of making it chunkier. The current controller is the perfect size for my hands, and I've always found the Xbox controllers uncomfortably large. Not big on the color scheme, either, but I'm assuming that it'll come in multiple color schemes, so it's probably fine.

looks like a cheap knockoff of an xbox controller with the worse joystick layout and dpad. never liked a playstation controller and looks like never will. really curious why they kept the touch pad and light bar. didn't like either one of those really at all. the haptic feedback thing is nice but exactly what all the others are doing.

hilarious to see the camp that was so paranoid about "nsa spying" via the kinect last go around seem perfectly fine with a controller having a built-in mic...

The high contrast and rounded top just make the white section look like this to me. I hate it.

Really like the look! It’s slick and futuristic. No idea how it feels in the hands though, obviously. Also been thinking, since they don’t call it the Dual Shock 5 , are we in for potentially 2 sets of designs eventually ?

I might be a weirdo but I think both the XBOX and PS controllers have been getting nothing but better and better over the years. Love both of them somewhat equally (although I use my Elite a lot more due to it being my PC controller of choice). I'm sure this will be great as well!

Overall I think I like it. Functionally it ticks a lot of boxes; Haptic Feedback, resistive triggers, USB C, more prominent light bar (from the players view), built in mic. I like the bigger touch pad as well, I really think it was under-utilised by developers on the PS4 so maybe Sony are trying to push it harder here, perhaps making it less of a stretch for the thumbs will mean it can be incorporated into control schemes more easily.

I think it's possible as well that the DS4 could still be forward compatible with PS5 games, all the above features are nice to have but theres no fundamental difference to the available inputs.

The only thing which throws me is the colour scheme, the Two tone design doesnt work for me when it's a big block of white and a section of black, maybe it'd be better if there was more of a mix rather than a clear separation.

In fact... if there are any talented duders out there with time on their hands, it'd be cool to see this re-coloured with a Black D-Pad, Black Share/create and Options buttons, and Black Circle/Square/X/Triangle buttons with the traditional colours of the shapes.

I just want to know what other S words were considered. DualShape? DualShare? DualShift? DualSound? DualSpark? DualStrike? DualSynch?

Show me that marketing meeting.

@bisonhero: Dualshare would've been plausible from a gimicky marketing perspective, since they're being quite cryptic about the new "Create" button. I guess they've gone for Dualsense as its a new type of rumble, so they're moving away from Dualshock but keeping the acronym

Seen some edits that make it fully black and it looks much more palatable. Still doesn't fix the fact they have big hollows that'll fill with dirt and lightbars pointed at your face, though.

I've never had any issue with the old dualshock handfeel, but if this feels better to hold then I don't really mind losing the classic look for this.

The lack of paddles or back buttons completely kills the thing for me. If the DS4 works on the PS5 (can't see a reason it wouldn't) I'll stick with that and the back buttons over all the fancy new tech in this thing.

Back buttons really, really should have been standard. Modern shooters are just so, so much better with them and if devs had the opportunity to design their controls around 2 extra inputs it would be huge. If they offer a premium version with back buttons (attachment seems unlikely to me) that's fine, but again, it should be standard. Also any back button option on PS5 should be within the price range of what they cost on PS4 because if it's not going to be standard, it should at least be accessible and not require a $100 or more investment.

@brackstone: Honestly had no idea there were DS4s with back buttons.

@ralphmoustaccio: I'm seeing a lot of the "boomerang" influence as well. Not the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world to me, but at first glance it does look more ergonomic than any of the Dual Shocks. I like the inclusion of the microphone if it means I can do voice commands easily, but don't like it if it means that even more people are going to be blasting whatever is going on in their house into voice chat.

And I'd guess the console itself will also have somewhat of a dual-tone look going on.

Back in I think February, maybe the end of January, they released a separate thing that attaches to the DS4 and adds 2 programmable back buttons. All they do is emulate a pre-existing button (I usually set mine to the sticks or X and O). Since it came out I've used it constantly and I can never go back.

I'm also curious how a microphone works when it's attached to the surface where you're constantly clicking in buttons and moving the sticks. Maybe they used some of that custom ear-tech Cerny discussed to isolate sounds only coming from far away and having a really strict gate? In theory integrating a mic into the controller is a pretty smart move I think. Ever since I got my LG TV that has a mic on the remote control I've been using it instead of typing out stuff in YouTube search or something, it's very convenient.

Yeah it's wild to me that they went to the effort of making a back-button addon for the DualShock 4 and then threw it out the window for this. They should be standard. Make them re-bindable so if people don't want to use them they can ignore them, but I want the option to have face buttons back there whenever.

@isomeri: Yeah, I’m strictly referring to the aesthetics when I said I hate it. The side view makes it look much closer to the DS4 in terms of ergonomics which is a good thing. The DS4 is very comfortable to use, even if I personally prefer offset sticks.

I had not really considered the implications of the microphone being included beyond a general thought of it being something I’d never need or want, but you have a good point here. The limited potential benefit of voice control is profoundly outweighed by the ease with which someone can harass other players with an always available mic (to mention nothing of your example of inadvertent broadcasting of environmental noise/chatter). At least having to intentionally plug in a headset before was some level of effort. Now the mic is just sitting there ready for vile trash to be screamed into it whenever someone feels like it. Ugh.

@ralphmoustaccio: That is true although I think most of us have a built in "mute all" reflex by this point when engaging in public multiplayer. On the other hand I was surprised the Xbox One X for example doesn't come with any voice communication. Even the 360 had that over the ear mic and the PS4 had that pathetic earbud but it was something. The original Xbox One came with the Kinect which was their voice solution but then they discontinued it and never included anything for their premium flagship console. I came back to Xbox this generation by getting the X so I just.. never had any sort of mic for it until last christmas when I bought a semi-expensive wireless headset.

So I guess I'm saying that it's always good to have SOME built in voice option rather than nothing at all.

I wonder what Sony shows next, a cable?

Otherwise I like the look and I guess there is still hope for back buttons, because we have no rear picture

Yes, a heartrate sensor in my controller, that's EXACTLY what I want from a controller

It's fine, to be honest.

I quite like it, it has a real xbox feel though, probably due to the white. But as long as it feels mostly like the DS4 I’m sure it’s going to be perfect for me.

@humanity: Oh, for sure, with regard to the mute all thing. It can be easy to forget to do so sometimes, though, and one could be subject to some pretty foul stuff if they get into a lobby and people immediately start yelling. I suppose the people inclined to do that are probably already inclined to wearing a headset. I tend to avoid competitive multiplayer altogether, even with mute all engaged, because it's not really something I enjoy.

I think it will really come down to how this is implemented in terms of an always-on mic. Will that be an opt-in, which it should be, or an opt-out? I try to have the fewest possible number of such microphones in my house, especially after what's come out in the last couple of years about the amount of recordings that voice-activated systems like Alexa maintain. Sticking a mic in and making customers seek out the settings to disengage it for the sake of their own privacy is frustrating to me.

Other than that and the look of it, I'm excited to see what the new haptics will allow for. "HD Rumble" on the Switch is sadly under-utilized (at least good implementations of it are), but when it works it's pretty great. Having something similar adds to the immersion, especially if Sony's going to make a continued push with VR this gen.

As someone who's been playing lots of XCOM 2 lately the color scheme makes me think of either an Advent Shieldbearer or Advent Priest. I hope this controller is at least smarter about inputs than the DS4. A couple days ago I accidentally had my PS4 on while I was using my DS4 for a PC game and ended up buying $200+ of bullshit off PSN because I guess both devices were reading the button inputs. Luckily my bank flagged it so I could file a claim for the charges but with everything going there's no telling when I'll be able to get in touch with a human from either my bank or Sony and I might be stuck with these charges. So for the love of fucking god I hope this one restricts connection to ONE device at a time.

@mezmero: Oh wow, that's the first I've heard of that happening before. Everytime I tried to use a DS4 that was synced to a PS4 on my PC it just wouldn't work on my PC. It would turn on my PS4 and be non responsive on the PC. So I never thought that would be possible, that really sucks.

When I saw that first screenshot and saw the name "DualSense" I thought, "Oh, no. They're doing capacitive face buttons."

Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case.

@mezmero: Sony's new refund policy is that so long as you haven't downloaded what you purchased to a console, you have 14 days to return digital purchases. Otherwise i hear some real shitty horror stories about them possibly (not sure how true) banning accounts if you do a charge back through your bank without giving them a heads up, because Sony thinks you are trying to get something for free.

So get a hold of Sony as soon as you can and hopefully they can help you out.

I like it! Glad the kept the touch bar, as it gets a ton of use on PC. And I'm really trying to see where people are coming from, but I get no boomerang feel from this, like at all. Other than "is mostly symmetrical" and "has sticks at the bottom".

Controllers are really good these days, well the ones from MS and Sony are good. Stadia, Valve, and some other suck shit; but MS, Sony and even Nintendo Pro controller are pretty good. So, it is good that Sony and MS are not changing much.

For all those complaining about the microphone, you can likely set the mic to "off" so it nevers turn on at all from the console side Probably, owners can turn off haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, the LED lights, the speakers and the mic. Even if you don't like that stuff, keep in mind some some people who don't have great motor control these options are very useful - everyone should be able to play games. I used the microphone below on my DS4 to add a mic to the controller: I used it to play around with voice commands. Yeah, it work great, it was about the size or a fat thumbtack!

The advantage to Sony's solution, over mine, will probably be it with filter out the TV speaker noise. Their solution will just pass the players voice. Sony has a ton of sound processing by way of the Tempest Engine in the PS5.

A much more traditional color scheme. I like this look a lot.

More than anything I just need colors on the face buttons. Otherwise, I'm a little worried about the rounder look, my hands are so used to the DualShock at this point and have never enjoyed holding an XBox controller, but enough of that is due to the position of the left analog stick that this should be a minor thing to get used to.

If they offered an all-black or even all-grey classic colorway with the colors on the face buttons that'd likely be my grab. Hell even an all-white, the Destiny controller was my favorite until its battery life went down to about an hour and a half per charge.

Digital Foundry has an interesting interpretation of what was revealed ,and what was actually explained YEAR AGO, in more detailed, in th Wired article.

The interesting point is that Sony might be spending more & emphasizing more their controller. Digital Foundry's, Richard Leadbetter, points out that the price comparison for Series X and PS5 is going to be hard because of philosophy behind the hardware. He posits that what Sony is "enevisoning" for gaming is far more focused around haptic feedback, 3D sound, and not just fps speed...but a more seamless experience of gaming where the games load fast and they interruptions between playing and waiting are nearly eliminated - if the developer chooses. The difference of philippshy are a bit more stark this upcoming generation.

Price?!

DualShocks 4 sells for about $55 in the US, but the MSRP of $59.95. They do appear on sale for as low as $40, but on average $55 The DualSense will cost more; more tech means a higher price tag. My guess is $74.95 MSRP. Keep in mind Nintendo Switch's Joy Cons cost more...and yeah those were considered very high too.

Still more to know?

Yeah, I think Sony has not revealed all. What has not been talked about speed of the connection. Are they using Bluetooth 5.2? The spec for 5.2 has a LE setting that uses less power, but that is not the reason I think that will be the specification. Bluetooth Low Energy radio lowering battery consumption, and allow the protocol to carry sound and add features. A controller that is sending control data, audio in, audio out (mic) would benefit from that. Moreover 5.2 includes 'Enhanced Attribute Protocol' (EATT), EATT reduces end-to-end latency in audio devices. From the security point of view, EATT works over an encrypted connection and it has security advantages from older specs.

I have a white DS4 and all the buttons are black so it's weird to see the buttons on the white part of the controller white and the black part of the controller black except for the shoulder buttons.

@liquiddragon said:

I have a white DS4 and all the buttons are black so it's weird to see the buttons on the white part of the controller white and the black part of the controller black except for the shoulder buttons.

It will be interesting to see if Sony keeps the 'clear' buttons, or if that is just the latest prototype example. I would not mind clear button if the Triangle, Square, Circle, and Cross were in color. But, I could get used to them being more hidden- it would just be less than ideal.

What I do like is that new PS button! It likely costs 3x as much as a round button, but it just a really nice touch to give the button a iconic shape.

The other interesting thing on design is that Sony has that Sony Vision car (demonstration platform) at CES. At the time it seems to have no real relevance to PlayStation at all. But there is a design philosophy in that interior of that car that I do wonder about. Was there some inspiration for Playstation to that team or from that car team back to Playstation? Two months ago say there was even a shred if design philosophy shared between either would seem ludicrous.

...but

Let's just say, maybe some designers looked at each other stuff and said, "Wow, that cool. It does gives me some ideas." Maybe the only idea was simply ,'pale white', but it is striking.

I don't much like the look of it but that isn't all that important to me really. The features sound/look good and hopefully it's comfortable & practical to use.

My one misgiving is that damn microphone. I don't want always-on microphones in my home under any circumstances and I don't really trust software settings to disable it.

If/when I get one that thing's coming apart and the mic is getting physically disconnected, disabled or just plain broken.

I actually like the futuristic "Mass Effect" look. Imagine the matching VR headset!

@lego_my_eggo: Yup account got suspended this morning and Playstation support is pretty much impossible to reach at this time to overturn it so it might as well be a permanent ban.

So take a lesson from me kids, don't use a Dual Shock 4 on your PC while your PS4 is still on.

@mezmero: That sucks, hopefully they sort it out, although they are probably going to want to keep the money from the Apex cash you bought. And it shouldn't have happened to begin with, but set it up so you require a password for any purchase. That way even if your PS4 and PC work at the same time, the odds of you accidentally entering your password should be low.