Meet the DualSense the controller for the PlayStation 5

Out of nowhere, Sony have announced the DualSense controller, what gamers who get a PlayStation 5 can expect to be using when the platform is released. Visit the PlayStation Blog to learn all about it from Hideaki Nishino

“DualSense marks a radical departure from our previous controller offerings and captures just how strongly we feel about making a generational leap with PS5. 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.”– Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment

The controller has changed very little from the DualShock 4, the one that shipped with the PlayStation 4, but has made a lot of subtle changes to things we already know. For example, the button that players used to share their content has been removed and is replaced by the Create button, but the same basic concept is behind it.

Another massive difference is that the giant light bar on the back of the DualShock 4 has been removed here and instead, two narrow lights are either side of the TouchPad, which does help break up the giant chunk of plastic.

The other thing that I like, the controller appears to be charged by USB-C, which is very welcome indeed. Sadly though, I hate the shape and while it looks like it is squished DualShock 4, that was combined with some Xbox One controller DNA.

In addition to its odd shape, the lack of lightbar on the back, whilst great for me, as I hated it, likely means that the controller is no longer compatible with PlayStation VR, which would be a pain. One the other side, does it mean we can use DualShock 4 controllers on PlayStation 5?