Sony unveils redesigned controller for PlayStation 5

Sony has unveiled its new wireless controller which will come with PlayStation 5 when it launches later this year.

The new DualSense includes a built-in microphone array for the first time, which will allow players to chat to friends without a headset.

Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan admitted the new controller was a “radical departure” from previous versions of the device, featuring a two-tone colour scheme for the first time.

PlayStation 5 is due to go on sale at the end of 2020, around the same time rivals Microsoft release their own next-generation console, the Xbox Series X.

Microsoft has already revealed a range of specifications for the new Xbox, including the console and controller design itself, and confirmed it would be at least twice as fast as the current generation Xbox One X and eight times faster than the original Xbox.

Sony is still to reveal the design of the PlayStation 5 console itself.

The new DualSense will include new adaptive trigger buttons, which Sony said will mimic the tension of actions such as drawing a bow to shoot an arrow.

It will also feature enhanced haptic feedback to incorporate the sensations of more actions users take when they play, with Sony describing how the vibration system will now be able to recreate the “grittiness of driving a car through mud” as an example.

The Share button on the DualShock 4 controller which comes with the PS4 has also been renamed ‘Create’ and will support “new ways for players to create epic gameplay content to share with the world”.

The controller’s unveiling received a mixed reception on social media, with many suggesting the controller would look better in an all-black finish, similar to the current generation DualShock 4.

“DualSense marks a radical departure from our previous controller offerings and captures just how strongly we feel about making a generational leap with PS5,” Mr Ryan said.

“The new controller, along with the many innovative features in PS5, will be transformative for games – continuing our mission at PlayStation to push the boundaries of play, now and in the future.

“To the PlayStation community, I truly want to thank you for sharing this exciting journey with us as we head toward PS5’s launch in Holiday 2020.

“We look forward to sharing more information about PS5, including the console design, in the coming months.”