PlayStation 5 DualSense Controller: Everything We Know So Far

A special Summer Game Fest stream with Geoff Keighley has revealed a few more details on the DualSense controller that will be used for the PlayStation 5.

Side-by-side comparisons showed that the DualSense is physically larger than the PS4's DualShock controller, weighs a bit more, and feels like it has more "heft."

“Astro’s Playroom” will be a free game that is pre-installed on the PS5, and Keighley says that it’s not just a quick tech demo, but rather, a multi-hour game, It should serve as a solid instruction on what the DualSense can actually do, says GameSpot.

The integrated speaker supposedly has a wider range of sound, and that the sounds it emits tie in with what the haptic feedback is doing in “Astro’s Playroom.”

The game is set up like different components of a computer, with a CPU lobby area and a cooling station area. One section showcased the adaptive triggers, with Keighley describing the tension he felt in each one as he used them while controlling a character whose body consisted of a large spring.

Keighley then spoke to PlayStation worldwide head of marketing Eric Lempel, who said that “Astro's Playroom” is intended to show off the benefits of the controller and various features of the system. A different version of the game was taken to developers earlier in development as the PS5 was introduced to them.

In terms of the design changes to the controller itself, Lempel talked about Sony wanting to iterate upon the established DualShock design that worked so well on both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.

"A big pillar of our company is innovation," Lempel said. "We want to push the boundaries of play... What's unique about the DualSense is it plays into your senses."

Lempel also stated that PS4 will "continue to be a big part of what we do--there will be a lot more to come on PlayStation 4... There's still a ton of life in that product." That’s definitely good news for gamers who remain loyal to the current-gen console.

Regarding the PS5's solid-state drive, GameSpot notes that Lempel said it will make for "different" and "better" experiences, adding that it isn't as simple as reducing or eliminating load times. He claimed that a game like “Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart” could not be built on existing hardware because it relies on the speed of the SSD.

"You would have to change it, you would have to change how the game works--it would change the experience," he said when asked if "Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart" could be built on PS4.

Asked if there will be additional colors of the DualSense, Lempel said, "We'll talk about it at some point." He agreed with Keighley's statement that it's difficult enough to get a single product out the door. So while Lempel wasn't definitive, it sounds more likely than not that you'll have only the single two-tone color option at launch--whenever that may be. If Sony sticks with what it has done for its past consoles, alternate colors should arrive later.