After more than 20 years, the reign of the DualShock is finally coming to an end. While it will likely take some time for that to sink in, there's no need to let a little existential dread get in the way of talking about the next big thing in controller innovations. It's called the DualSense, and even though it sort of looks like an Xbox controller, Sony would still like you to know that it's gonna change the way we experience games - forever (or something to that effect).
In a blog post from earlier today, Sony revealed that the DualSense's design has been finalized and is currently making its way to developers so that they can begin incorporating its new features into their games. This, in effect, means that what we see now is what we're gonna get, so just be happy that it doesn't look like a boomerang.
According to Playstation's Hideaki Nishino, the genesis of the DualSense isn't so much about reinventing the wheel as it is improving on it. "we decided to keep much of what gamers love about DualShock 4 intact, while also adding new functionality and refining the design" says Nishino. However, it looks as though the design actually needed to be altered in order to accommodate those new features. That is to say that the DualSense be lookin' a little thicc.
In terms of functionality, the big buzz word surrounding the DualSense seems to be "haptic feedback", which is just a fancy way to describe how the controller reacts to what's happening on-screen. When Nintendo first introduced the rumble pak to the N64, it changed the way in which the controller could be used to immerse players in their games. Sony would eventually adopt similar technology for the DualShock, and now two decades later, they are once again looking at new ways to incorporate feedback into the player experience. To that end, Sony views the DualSense as a means to "heighten that feeling of immersion", likening the sensations it can create with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to the "slow grittiness of driving a car through mud" or "drawing a bow to shoot an arrow."
Looking at the DualSense, you might notice the absence of the "share" button, which on the PS4 allows players to quickly save and share clips of their gameplay. Nishino stresses that the functionality is very much still there, just slightly altered in pursuit of "once again pioneering new ways for players to create epic gameplay content to share with the world, or just to enjoy for themselves." What that means exactly remains to be seen, but he goes on to say that more details will be revealed at a later date.
What might not be noticeable in the photos is the inclusion of a built-in microphone, which is apparently there to make voice chat more convenient for those who don't want to be bothered with putting on a headset. Fortunately for those of us in noisier households, headset support will continue to be a thing.
In terms of aesthetic, the DualSense looks a tad bit different from its predecessor. The two-tone color scheme is a little off-putting, but that's not to say that it won't grow on me. Does it remind me of an Oreo? Yes. Or as one Twitter user pointed out, look as though it's wearing an apron? Also yes, but knowing how merchandising goes I'm confident there will be other color variants in the future.
Lastly, Sony wanted to use the opportunity to reassure everyone that the PS5 is still expected to launch in time for the holidays. Whether or not that sticks, we should expect to hear more soon.