Sony unveils its new DualSense controller with improved triggers

With every new console, Sony has released a new DualShock controller to go along with it. Not this time.

What you're looking at is the new DualSense controller, revealed Tuesday by Sony, a gamepad for the upcoming PlayStation 5 that looks like a cross between the DualShock 4 controller, the Xbox One controller, and a Stormtrooper helmet.

The most apparent features of the controller are the color and the size. The sleek white and black combo is a new direction for PlayStation aesthetic, which tends to stick toward a single color. It may point to the aesthetic of the yet-to-be-revealed console.

The DualSense seems a bit bulkier than the DualShock 4 and fills in the space around the two joysticks instead of having them stick out, which is very reminiscent of how Xbox has been designing their controllers since the beginning.

Naming it the DualSense instead of the DualShock 5 is a nod toward some of the new features of this controller. In the blog post, the company mentions new haptic feedback added to the controller — which is likely more precise and localized vibrations similar to the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con controllers — and adaptive triggers for the R2 and L2 buttons which, again, is how Microsoft has designed their triggers since the beginning.

All of this is meant to improve immersion, the blog states.

"Our goal with DualSense is to give gamers the feeling of being transported into the game world as soon as they open the box. We want gamers to feel like the controller is an extension of themselves when they’re playing – so much so that they forget that it’s even in their hands."

One other nice addition (or subtraction, really) to the controller is the lack of lightbar on the back of it. While there is still a large touchpad and some glow on the face of the controller, there isn't a big light coming out of the back of it like on the DualShock 4. It's not a huge issue, but sometimes that blue light will glare on the screen when playing.

Along with the new controller information, the blog mentions that we will be getting some information on the actual console's design in the coming months.

The PlayStation 5 is planned to launch in the holiday season of 2020, and the company has previously mentioned that its launch should not be impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.