△ O X ▢

April 13, 2020 2:13 PM

A First Look At The PlayStation 5 DualSense Controller [Game Informer] “Sony has introduced its PlayStation 5 DualSense wireless controller. It's an evolution on the classic PlayStation controller form we've seen over previous generations, with some new features. The controller is slightly lighter, and Hideaki Nishino, Sony senior vice president, platform planning and management, says the company wanted to "maintain a strong battery life" for the rechargeable controller. "Based on our discussions with developers," Nishino said, "we concluded that the sense of touch within gameplay, much like audio, hasn’t been a big focus for many games." Accordingly, the controller uses haptic feedback and has trigger tension. Overall, the angle of the hand triggers and the grip of the controller is different from previous ones. Nishino says the company tested the controller's ergonomics with players of varying hand sizes, and wanted it to "feel smaller than it really looks."”

• The PS5 Controller Reimagined As Cute Characters And Human Personifications [Kotaku]

“There is a history of fans reimagining game consoles as humans. Typically, they’re turned into anime girls, which is inevitably happening with the DualSense, but this time, the PlayStation 5's controller is also being turned into little cute characters. Let’s have a look at some!”

• Sony’s new DualSense controller is its most exciting design since the original PlayStation [The Verge]

“From the first time you look at it, it’s clear that this is a new thing, one that’s wholly different (and, hopefully, better) than past PlayStation controllers. The two-tone color scheme! The sleeker, less angular design! USB-C! The glowing blue lights! Even the fancy new PS-shaped logo button. The internet lit up after the announcement with comparisons to the futuristic robot EVE from Disney’s WALL-E, to BMW’s i8, to the redesigned Enterprise from the 2009 Star Trek movie. The DualSense isn’t just a cosmetic redesign, though. Sony is also putting in a wide array of new features, like its adaptive triggers that can adjust resistance, new haptic feedback technology that the company claims is far more advanced than the old-fashioned rumble hardware, and even basics like an integrated microphone. Will all of these experiments work? We’ll have to wait to try out the controller — and, more importantly, see if developers adopt them. The history of PlayStation controllers is littered with unused ideas, like the PS3’s SIXAXIS motion sensing or the PS4’s gesture-based touchpad. But the key thing here is that Sony is trying to move things forward.”

• The next PlayStation controller is called DualSense, looks like a cool robot [Ars Technica]

“The biggest technical difference comes in the form of a wholly updated "haptic feedback" suite, which we understand compares favorably to Nintendo's "HD rumble" feature in its Switch Joy-Con controllers. Sony senior VP Hideaki Nishino doesn't go into fine detail about how the DualSense's rumbling will differ from the DualShock 4 line, but finer-tuned haptic feedback can offer a greater range of rumble sensitivity and placement than most gamepads offer, at least when done right. "Stereo" rumbling feedback that carefully rumbles from one side to the other could be possible with such a system, but Sony didn't clarify. Nishino only mentions one specific DualSense rumbling bonus compared to other gamepads: "Adaptive" rumbling feedback. Nishino offers a vague description of how pressing the PS5's "L2" and "R2" triggers will let players "truly feel the tension of your actions, like when drawing a bow to shoot an arrow." While Nishino's text doesn't say so, the controller's charging port now appears to be a USB Type-C connector, though it remains to be seen whether this will enable faster battery charging in the future or whether the DualSense's internal battery will be any bigger than the wimpy DualShock 4 offering. Without official specs just yet, we're left trusting Nishino's pledges of "strong battery life" and "lessen[ed] weight." And it's not just new rumbling tech that might weigh this controller down; the DualSense will also sport an embedded microphone array, which Nishino describes as appropriate for "a quick conversation." He recommends that players still use a dedicated headset "for a longer period." Neither the above images nor the official PS Blog post confirms whether or not to expect a 3.5mm headphone jack.”

• The Evolution of the PlayStation Controller [Push Square]

“We're on the brink of the next generation, which will see PlayStation 5 step into the spotlight. Among other headline features such as a speedy SSD, 3D audio, and a seriously streamlined UI, Sony's new console will of course sport a revised controller. We now know this PS5 controller as DualSense, and it's the biggest departure Sony's ever made in terms of design. Even the DualShock name has been ditched. It still carries the fundamentals of a PlayStation pad, but if you compare the original to the upcoming device, the difference is night and day. It's inspired us to take a look back at how the PlayStation controller has changed over the course of 25 years, [...] Looking back on PlayStation's major input devices, it's fascinating to compare what's changed over the years, as well as what's stayed the same. Fundamentally, every controller bares the same buttons, but Sony has gradually added more and more functionality. DualSense might look like a drastic change even compared with DualShock 4, but it's still absolutely a PlayStation design, building off the early successes of that original controller. Which PlayStation pad is your personal favourite? Are you keen on the DualSense PS5 controller, or would you have preferred a more familiar look? Have your say in the comments below.”

posted by Fizz (43 comments total)

Did you know that O X △ ▢ are numbers? The numerical value of each symbol is the number of sides it has.
posted by I-Write-Essays at 2:24 PM on April 13, 2020 [21 favorites]

I love the DualShock 4 overall. But the often-used Option* button is so, so small. It's like this tiny thing they just stuck on the controller somewhere as an afterthought, yet it's integral to almost every game! It's jammed next to the big Touch Pad button, and I always—ALWAYS—feel like my thumb isn't hitting it just right because it's so tiny. And I don't have large hands. I was really hoping they'd make the new generation controllers with better Option buttons. I'm disappointed by this.

I'm sure the other features are great. But the DS had that one, glaring problem in my opinion, and it looks like it's gonna be the same in the next generation.

*Funny, I use it all the damn time, but I had to Google for the name of the Option button.

OH, and here's hoping that they widely implement the touch pad in this upcoming generation!
posted by SoberHighland at 2:25 PM on April 13, 2020 [6 favorites]

I'll second loving the DualShock 4 - I tried a Steam Controller for about 2 hours and ditched it real quick. I do have some qualms: The DS4 is a little small for my hands and I sometimes get cramps. If I'm not careful with the grip there is a spot where I get a friction blister. I use PC with DS4Windows and I often have issues with the wireless lagging. It's to the point where I just plug the dang thing in all the time. I do find that the range of the 'analog' triggers to be so small I suspect that an average person could get maybe 4 levels of output. The trackpad is great for streaming media and not wanting to get up to tell Netflix that yes, I am still here and sentient and awake.

I'm always fascinated with the different controllers out there and the constant re-envisioning of what they can do, from the bonkers Nintendo approach to the chunky X-Box to the slow-and-steady Sony. Things these days are now so sleek and grabbable and comfortable I really wonder how they can top themselves.
posted by Dmenet at 2:38 PM on April 13, 2020

I see they're still sticking with this wireless controller nonsense. I'll pass until they come to their senses.
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:42 PM on April 13, 2020 [2 favorites]

i love the current one, the only drawbacks are a lack of maybe 2-4 more buttons for remapping. the new one looks like they continued to forget that disabled people exist, no surprise there.

idk why battery life is an issue when 6 foot long cords exist.
posted by poffin boffin at 2:59 PM on April 13, 2020

Basically the same --- which is expected but a disappointment. IMO the PlayStation is the worst of all the current controllers --- stick placement is non-optimal (XBox/Switch version is better), form factor is a little uncomfortable, and internal battery is a bad call.

The controller is the main reason I avoid PS for anything except a must-have exclusive, and use Switch/XBox/PC over it whenever possible (but exclusivity refuses to die, even though it is thankfully MUCH less common than it used to be!).

Given that all the controllers have the same basic number of buttons, I wish it was just like PC where you could use any controller, but of course console makers don't want that world.
posted by thefoxgod at 3:23 PM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

Did you know that O X △ ▢ are numbers? The numerical value of each symbol is the number of sides it has.
posted by I-Write-Essays

In Some Ways this is true, but the shapes were 99% surely chosen just because they’re widely used in Japan (with the exception of the square, which I guess was just thrown in because they needed a fourth). In fact, in Japan specifically, the PS3 and PS4 are still set to have O as OK and X as cancel/back, which neatly matches Japan’s universal use of O to mean “good/yes” and X to mean “bad/no.” The triangle is also used widely to mean “not quite X but not quite O either.”

In practice, though, the square isn’t really used widely other than, like, to indicate headings in page layout or whatever.
posted by DoctorFedora at 3:35 PM on April 13, 2020 [2 favorites]

I'd be interested to hold one. On all the other modern controllers, the shape seems to be wanting me to pull the analog triggers with my index fingers, but functionally you need them on the bumpers and your middle fingers on the triggers, which makes me feel like I'm holding it wrong.

I'd love a controller with the bumper buttons below the analog triggers, and maybe buttons for your other fingers as well. Being more accustomed to PC games, it seems silly trying to do almost everything with your thumbs when you've got all those other fingers doing nothing.
posted by straight at 3:37 PM on April 13, 2020

One way to make use of your other fingers is with paddles, like the XBox Elite (which is the best controller I've ever used, though ridiculously expensive). Keeps you from having to move your right thumb off the stick nearly as much. Paddles or even just buttons built in to the underside of the contoller in the same way would be a nice feature to see more widely.
posted by thefoxgod at 3:48 PM on April 13, 2020

I have a Scuff controller for my PC and the paddles on it are the only way I managed to have enough fingers to actually play Nier: Automata. They are a must-have, and I'm sure I'll be using a Scuff instead of the standard PS5 controller.
posted by I-Write-Essays at 3:49 PM on April 13, 2020

i've wanted one for ages but no one has ever been able to give me enough feedback on how durable they are. my grip issues are less of a problem these days but when it was bad, i was going through a regular ps4 controller every 6-8 months, it was an expensive nightmare, and if i'm spending 4x as much i definitely don't want to have to worry about replacing it frequently.
posted by poffin boffin at 4:00 PM on April 13, 2020

Puffin Boffin: The Scuff controller I have feels very solid and it's survived just fine for several years since I've gotten it. The cord has a quick-release thing so that it disconnects rather than gets damaged when I've tripped over it.
posted by I-Write-Essays at 4:15 PM on April 13, 2020

My pet theory about the Dualsense controller is that the mic they've so far only mentioned in regards to chat has another purpose. Mark Cerny talked up the 3D positional audio capabilities of the PS5 and how they can work well even with stereo speakers, with the caveat of there being a sweet spot the player has to be in for it to work. With a mic array on the controller itself, the PS5 can use test tones to determine exactly how far the play is from each speaker and balance accordingly. The tech exists on nicer AV receivers and I'd be surprised they didn't leverage that kind of capability considering how much they're focusing on audio.

The controller is a DUALsense after all, with haptics/touch being one sense and if I'm right, audio integration/sound being the other.

As far as current gen controllers go, I love the Switch Pro controller even more than the Dualshock 4. My partner hates how heavy the Switch Pro controller is, but I hate how often the DS4, especially older DS4s, have to be recharged. I'd love for the Dualsense to have a beefier battery even if it ends up making it weigh a little more.
posted by thecjm at 5:15 PM on April 13, 2020

If it can't be used while plugged into the wire, it should be replaced with a third-party version that can be.
posted by I-Write-Essays at 5:24 PM on April 13, 2020

Looks like a mecha helmet for pandas. Or maybe a mecha-panda’s helmet?
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:29 PM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

I liked the N64 controller.
posted by glonous keming at 5:31 PM on April 13, 2020 [5 favorites]

If it can't be used while plugged into the wire, it should be replaced with a third-party version that can be.

Are there any controllers out there that can't be used while charging? My DS4 can. My Switch Pro Controller can. My Switch joycons can't when in the grip but there's an upgrade option out there that lets you play and charge and that's the worst I can think of: Nintendo giving you the option if you pay more.

My biggest problem with playing and charging is that in a modern living room I don't sit 12 inches from the TV like I did 30 years ago and I need a long-ass USB cable to play and charge. So long that they often crap out.
posted by thecjm at 6:07 PM on April 13, 2020

Obviously this lockdown has gone on too long.
posted by evilDoug at 7:29 PM on April 13, 2020

I'm gonna stick with switch because I like to sprawl over the entire couch with one half in each hand like

#_____O_____#

just pointing at weird angles and still playing fine. Other companies need to get on this two controllers per controller gimmick.
posted by fomhar at 7:34 PM on April 13, 2020 [6 favorites]

I see they're still sticking with this wireless controller nonsense. I'll pass until they come to their senses.

Twitch streamer discovers their controller is wireless
posted by Reyturner at 8:16 PM on April 13, 2020

> Twitch streamer discovers their controller is wireless

"The controller's battery doesn't last? It's plugged in."
... realizes there's an easy opportunity for a joke here.
"Wait, this is wireless?"
posted by I-Write-Essays at 8:23 PM on April 13, 2020

I see they're still sticking with this wireless controller nonsense. I'll pass until they come to their senses.

Have any consoles come with a wired controller in the last decade and a half? Seems like we're rapidly approaching the time where gaming consoles have had only wireless controllers longer than they had wired.
posted by sideshow at 8:25 PM on April 13, 2020 [4 favorites]

I am very confused that people are annoyed that many consoles have wireless controllers. I did have one garbage ps3 knockoff controller that had issues with playing while charging but had no idea this was a widespread thing.

I think that new controller looks cool, I like haptic feedback
posted by capnsue at 8:53 PM on April 13, 2020 [2 favorites]

Did you know that O X △ ▢ are numbers? The numerical value of each symbol is the number of sides it has.

Hmm, I'm not sure how. A circle has no sides. How many sides does X have? Neither are polygons.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:13 PM on April 13, 2020

And, Lo, I discovered, like a Caveman banging upon Rocks, that the Controller Hole, being identical to the Phone Thing, allowed for the plugging in of the Controller to the Phone Charger that is plugged in by the Couch where I like to sit, so that it might Charge, never needing contact with the PlayStation again. I would say that I was embarassed by how recently I discovered this, but it seems I am not the only one. ;)
This thing? Looks cool. If you throw it does it come back?
If it doesn't have a 3.5mm audio I will give it one.
posted by sexyrobot at 10:51 PM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

Mark my words, once people start using this thing for real, they will hate it because it has two LEDs pointed straight at your eyeballs.
posted by papineau at 10:54 PM on April 13, 2020

They sucked his brains out!: "How many sides does X have?"

Came here to ask this.

I would say a circle has 2 sides (an inside and an outside.)
Though for the sake of this exercise you could say it has one side. The triangle has three, the square four. That would mean the X should have 2 sides, which I can't map.
posted by chavenet at 1:57 AM on April 14, 2020

For many years Sony's controllers were the best. Then Microsoft figured out that most of the time your left thumb is on a joystick so let's just build the controller with that in mind.

As far as I can tell Sony has just not wanted to admit that this is obviously correct because that would mean some kind of shameful surrender in The Console Warz.

I really just wish there were, in general, more high-quality first-party controller options. Microsoft had the right idea when they had both the Big Chunky and S Xbox controllers; humans do, in fact, come in different sizes and shapes and hands are part of humans in that regard!

Sigh.
posted by Tomorrowful at 4:03 AM on April 14, 2020

do they have the balls to do an adaptive controller, though?
posted by scruss at 4:44 AM on April 14, 2020

Hmm, I'm not sure how. A circle has no sides. How many sides does X have? Neither are polygons.

It's not so much the number of "sides" as the number of lines or strokes required to draw each figure.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:35 AM on April 14, 2020 [7 favorites]

I've had both Playstation and XBox consoles, and I very much prefer the XBox controllers. It's partly the stick arrangement, but mostly the triggers--the XBox ones just feel so much more ergonomic to me.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 5:41 AM on April 14, 2020

I think I may be literally the only person in the world who likes the original Nvidia Shield TV controller better than either the Sony or Microsoft controllers. Yet even I know that all the Sixaxis, DS3, and DS4 controllers make perfectly good wired controller with the addition of your choice of USB cable.

They don't just charge while playing (though they will do that, too, if you plug them into a handy USB port), they work in purely wired mode when connected to a PC, Android phone, or console. Indeed, some of them won't work on my Shield TV except with a wire, thanks to issues with certain controller firmware versions.
posted by wierdo at 6:07 AM on April 14, 2020

Mark my words, once people start using this thing for real, they will hate it because it has two LEDs pointed straight at your eyeballs.

Just like the Dualshock 4 already has a player highlight bar pointed at your eyeballs? I don't find it distracting, in fact I tend to not notice it's being used in the handful of games that use it for status alerts. (Elite? I think?)

I'm a contrarian here, although I find the Xbox One controller better than the 360 controller (uggh FFXIII was a painful slog), I prefer having the analog sticks in the center and at the same angle. Better kinematics or something for me, I guess? I can tolerate the Switch and Xbox style analog sticks, and I find the Wii U almost unplayable with the high-mount right analog stick and shoulder buttons that are miles apart.

That said, I think they've all sort of missed the boat on shoulder buttons. It's ok if the game has clear delineations between the bumpers and triggers and you can switch between them with your index finger, but I've played a few games that really want you hitting both on the same side at the same time and yeccch that feels uncomfortable as hell. I kind of want to try the dual shock back button attachment to see if it helps or is just a weird lump.
posted by Kyol at 7:16 AM on April 14, 2020 [1 favorite]

I use a PS4 controller for Rocket League, where steering is done via the left stick. Lately I've noticed that my hand rotates such that the side of my hand smashes against the L2 button, which means I start handbrake drifting when I, you know, don't want to. This has screwed me over in more than one game. I need to switch back to an Xbox-style controller.
posted by dirigibleman at 7:37 AM on April 14, 2020

Ok, here's why I prefer the Xbox one controller over any Sony controller- batteries. The Xbox one takes AAA. I use rechargeables. As soon as I get the low battery alert, I switch them out and I'm back in business. I haven't noticed appreciable lag with wireless controllers.
posted by evilDoug at 7:39 AM on April 14, 2020 [1 favorite]

Twitch streamer discovers their controller is wireless

She can beat the Blood-Starved Beast but doesn't know about wireless controllers? smh

I'd love a controller with the bumper buttons below the analog triggers, and maybe buttons for your other fingers as well. Being more accustomed to PC games, it seems silly trying to do almost everything with your thumbs when you've got all those other fingers doing nothing.

The Steam Controller has paddles under your fingers, but it's also the Steam Controller so it's missing the second analog stick, which is unfortunate.

(I'm pretty agnostic on controllers as long as we can all agree that the Switch JoyCon is the fucking worst)
posted by neckro23 at 8:21 AM on April 14, 2020

Looks okay to me. Agree about the options button on the Sixaxis or whatever, it's always a hassle to press. This fixes that problem. I'll still get stick extensions though because my long fingers/thumbs always want to move more than stock avails. A few extra buttons here and there would be good for remapping for sure, but this seems to be a nice evolution overall.

They're going to hold back the next HZD for a PS5 launch title, I bet. Ach, sigh.
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:37 AM on April 14, 2020

I own a PS3 but went to pc instead of a next gen console for the most recent generation. Does the track pad do anything? The couple of games I played on a friend's ps4 didn't use it. Why are they still including it?
posted by Hactar at 9:58 AM on April 14, 2020

Every system has to include that one weirdo off-the-wall thing with their controller:

For Sony it's the trackpad.

For Nintendo it's NFC.

For Xbox One it's charging $60 despite not coming with rechargeable batteries or any other stunt interfacing.
posted by Kyol at 10:01 AM on April 14, 2020 [2 favorites]

(and yeah, a few games make use of the trackpad as something more than just a big goshdarn button. Not many. It's not super convenient to use while playing, naturally. But Elite uses the corners for 4 additional buttons, which is greatly appreciated.)
posted by Kyol at 10:02 AM on April 14, 2020

RE: Finding meaning and symbolism in the PlayStation controller symbols:

There are also some fun associations made by the original controller designer that have interesting implications, especially considering that the Playstation era is when a lot of video game UX was becoming standardized:

I gave each symbol a meaning and a color. The triangle refers to viewpoint; I had it represent one's head or direction and made it green. Square refers to a piece of paper; I had it represent menus or documents and made it pink. The circle and X represent "yes" or "no" decision-making and I made them red and blue, respectively. People thought those colors were mixed up, and I had to reinforce to management that that's what I wanted." (source)

I've also read but do not have a source for the idea of Circle having the secondary meaning of a fist, and X being a pair of legs, which matches up with a lot of SNES control schemes (where B/X was jump and A/Circle was take action).

I will also echo the sentiment that it is a shame that the US switched up the standard of circle being accept/X being cancel, especially since two of the biggest games for the system (FF7 and Metal Gear Solid rightfully ignored that). The PS2 and Xbox both standardized the bottom button being accept, and only Nintendo has really held out to the current date. As someone who spends the vast majority of my time with the Switch, switching to my PS2 or PS4 is extremely irritating.

(Yes, I spend a lot of time thinking about game UX. It's very annoying to me as well.)
posted by Shadax at 2:09 PM on April 14, 2020

Furthermore, according to wikipedia, the position of X and O are switched on western versions of the controller compared to the Japanese version, which I think helps explain why there's so much inconsistency over which button means OK and which means Cancel in any particular game.
posted by I-Write-Essays at 4:03 PM on April 14, 2020

DoctorFedora:

In Some Ways this is true, but the shapes were 99% surely chosen just because they’re widely used in Japan (with the exception of the square, which I guess was just thrown in because they needed a fourth). In fact, in Japan specifically, the PS3 and PS4 are still set to have O as OK and X as cancel/back, which neatly matches Japan’s universal use of O to mean “good/yes” and X to mean “bad/no.” The triangle is also used widely to mean “not quite X but not quite O either.”

TIL, thanks!

In my head, Triangle can also be interpreted as "up arrow", which works because it's often used to get out of nested menus, like the Escape key in PC games.
posted by kandinski at 3:53 PM on April 19, 2020