Sony has previewed the first images for its new wireless controller – DualSense – for its upcoming gaming console, the PlaySation 5. When PS4 was launched in 2013, the DualShock 4 wireless controller garnered a lot of positive feedback from gamers and developers for being the best PlayStation controller and for introducing forward-looking features like the Share button. So, whats new in the DualSense controller.
The DualSense adds new functionality and comes in a refined design. The DualSense comes with haptic feedback, which adds a variety of powerful sensations you would feel when you play, such as the slow grittiness of driving a car through mud. There are also adaptive triggers into the L2 and R2 buttons of the DualSense so you can truly feel the tension of your actions, like when drawing a bow to shoot an arrow. But, the incorporation of adaptive triggers posed a significant design challenge for Sony as to how the components would fit into the hardware, without giving it a bulky feeling.
‘Our design team worked closely with our hardware engineers to place the triggers and actuators. The designers were then able to draw the lines of how the exterior of the controller would look and feel, with a challenge of making the controller feel smaller than it really looks. In the end, we changed the angle of the hand triggers and also made some subtle updates to the grip,’ Sony said in a blog post.
And instead of a ‘Share’ button as, Sony has included a new ‘Create’ button feature in the DualSense wireless controller. With Create, Sony wants to give players new ways to create epic gameplay content to share with the world. How this button will actually work, the company will announce closer to launch.
The DualSense would also come with a built-in microphone array, which will allow players to chat with friends without a headset. Instead of a single colour design, the DualSense would come with a two-toned design. The light bar, which on DualShock 4 sat on the top of the controller; now in the DualSense sits at each side of the touch pad, giving it a slightly larger look and feel.
The PlayStation 5 will come with an ultra-high-speed SSD, integrated custom I/O system, custom AMD GPU with ray tracing, and highly immersive 3D audio. The gaming console will be launched later this year.
