The DualSense PS5 controller is not just the greatest controller Sony has ever made, but it is also that rare game input device that seems really unique. Even better, the DualSense controller comes included with each PlayStation 5 console.
The DualSense is a more robust beast than its predecessor, outperforming the PS4’s DualShock 4 in every aspect imaginable, finally providing PlayStation owners a controller that surpasses Xbox’s offerings. It would be foolish to discuss the PS5 controller without highlighting its killer app – haptic feedback.
DualSense’s haptic feedback, developed by the same firm that created Nintendo’s Joycon HD Rumble, uses very accurate vibrations to assist recreate on-screen events by sending detailed reverberations jolting across your fingertips. The appropriately titled DualSense deepens immersion in a pleasingly tactile way, from the flow of water droplets softly pitter-pattering across your hands to the new adaptive triggers’ perceptible resistance when you pull back a bowstring.
It’s difficult to overestimate the significance of Sony’s new immersive innovation, and although the included Astro’s Playroom software helps to demonstrate its potential, we have no doubt that the PS5’s launch titles merely scratch the surface of what haptic feedback will bring to the table. In an age when most controllers focus on iteration rather than invention, Sony’s DualSense is one of the most unusual input devices – one that feels really thrilling.
Pricing
The PS5 DualSense controller costs $69.99/£59.99/AU$109.95, but as expected, every PS5 comes with one. If you wish to participate in some local co-op (or need to buy a replacement), you can always pick up an extra DualSense.
While the PS5 has had stock challenges internationally since its release — which look to be lessening in recent times – the DualSense appears to be widely accessible in the US, UK, and Australia.
The DualSense is a surprisingly gorgeous controller in the flesh, ditching the PS4’s all-black grungey design in favour of a smooth white body complemented by matte black analogue sticks. Aside from the flipped share and start buttons and a new Play Station-symbol-embossed home button and the aforementioned built-in mic (along with a convenient mute button), you’d be forgiven for thinking this was just a larger version of what came before. However, upon closer inspection, every component of the DualShock 4’s chassis has been stretched.
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