Last updated on March 9, 2021
Official pictures of the PS5 controller do not exist yet, so we take this nice PS4 controller.
We will not know what the PS5 controller will look like in the end, but some features are now known. And let’s already conclude that Sony with the “Dualshock 5” apparently has a lot of plans. We have collected all known information about the PS5 controller here for you.
Update: This article was updated on 08 December 2019 with new information.
What does the PS5 controller look like?
Official images for the Next Gen gamepad do not yet exist, but according to lead architect Marc Cerny it should look very similar to the Dualshock 4. He betrayed this to the magazine Wired some time ago, and current patents and leaks are also fitting for this statement.
And how could the controller look like? First patents & leaks
Update 5.12 .: In early December 2019 made a new image of the alleged PS5 Devkits the round. On it not only a possible preliminary model of the console housing is pictured, but also a possible model of the Dualshock 5.
While the controller in the picture may as well be the dualshock 4, the fact that it is mapped to the alleged PS5 devkit suggests that this is Sony’s next-gen gamepad could.
– The Drunk Cat ™ (@Alcoholikaust) November 30, 2019
At the beginning of November 2019, a Sony Interactive Entertainment patent surfaced showing design concepts of the controller. The patent shows, among other things, that the light bar of the DualShock 4 controller will not return. More pictures and assessments of the controller patent can be found here.
That’s what the PS5 controller might look like. But that’s not sure.
These features are provided by the controller of the PS5
The goal of the new controller: It should let us dive deeper into games. Two new features have been confirmed.
- Adaptive Triggers: The classic R2 and L2 triggers are converted to so-called “Adaptive Triggers” in “Dualshock 5”.
Translated, this means that developers can now set the buttons so that they offer different resistance depending on the intended use. Using a bow and arrow or a submachine gun should now feel “real”. Similar to the Xbox One controller.
- Improved vibration: The haptic feedback is much better, according to Wired than the Dualshock 4
- In addition, the PS5 controller offers improved controller speakers. This, in combination with the revised vibration function, creates “amazing effects,” according to Wired.
How does that feel? Wired was also able to try the PS VR game Astro Bot with the new PS5 controller. Thanks to the hardware improvements, surfaces like sand and mud would feel realistic.
Using bows and arrows, such as in Red Dead 2, would feel much more natural thanks to Adaptive Triggers.
Small improvements compared to the Dualshock 4:
- Controller uses USB-C port
- It has a larger battery than the Dualshock 4 and is therefore a bit heavier. However, the “Dualshock 5” should again be lighter than the Xbox One controller with batteries
According to Product Manager Toshi Aoki, Sony has worked on refining the haptic feedback since the development of the Dualshock 4. However, with the release of the PS4 Pro, the controller team had not yet introduced the improvements or saved them for the Next Gen to keep the players apart.
Are these all new features? As exciting as that sounds: the features are not brand new. The Xbox One X controller also has so-called haptic triggers. However, at the end of the day, it’s up to the developers to use the resistance in their games as well, but not many are currently doing that.
Is the PS5 controller called DualShock 5?
Sony has not yet revealed an official name. Most likely, however, the PlayStation 5 controller will simply be called “DualShock 5”.
Unlike Microsoft, who use creative names on their console, Sony simply numbers their devices with a number. It may also be that the gamepad gets a new name when we look at the new features.
Rumors & other patents on the PlayStation 5 controller
PS5 controller with cloud gaming?
A patent has surfaced on the Dutch website Tectastic indicating that the Dualshock 5 may support cloud gaming.
Patent for the Cloud Gaming feature of the Dualshock 5.
How does this work? The controller connects to a server via the Internet, which in turn connects to its PS5 console. This in turn streams the gameplay over a screen from the same network.
Cloud Gaming allows you to play together with friends, with one player being a host and the other not requiring a console.
What are the advantages? The streaming feature allows a player (U1) to invite friends to play together as a host. They do not need to have their own console in this case, but can easily play from their living room by hooking in via host via cloud gaming.
In practical terms, the cloud gaming function should also be for all those players who, for example, have two TVs in the apartment but only have one console. So instead of dragging your console from one TV to the next, you could easily connect to the TVs via the Cloud Gaming Controller. If they are internet-enabled, of course.
Is the Share Button & User Generated even more important now?
Update 26.11 .: With the Share-Button of the Dualshock 4-Controller you can take screenshots and videos of your PS4 games and share them via social media. As new patents suggest, Sony could build on it with the PS5 thanks to a new technology.
What does that mean? More specifically, it’s about a technology that can provide user-generated content with a variety of tags and metadata information, making it easier for other users to find. Sony calls this scene tagging.
You can not get on in, for example, Marvel’s Spider-Man? Thanks to Scene Tagging, you could filter out special videos that could help you.
If you use the share button to record videos or screenshots, Scene Tagging allows you to add metadata to the scene, such as the location in the game (chapter, section, etc.), the game title, or the type of scene (boss fight, scouting, etc.) become.
The advantage: Other players can then filter the content more targeted and search. This is especially useful if, for example, you are stuck in one place and need help. Other users may have uploaded a video of this site, which can then be found more easily via the tag system. Officially confirmed for the PS5 of course not. More about Scene Tagging can be found here.
PS5 controller with heartbeat sensor?
A model created by LetsGoDigital.
Update on 8.12: According to LetsGoDigital, Sony has issued a patent for a multifunction PlayStation controller in November 2019.
Important note: This patent (and the image above) is not the Dualshock 5, but a completely different device that does not necessarily have to be realized in this form. The features that the patent holds could be interesting for the Dualshock 5, though. It is quite possible that Sony will implement some of the ideas raised here:
For example, the patent speaks of a heart rate sensor. That would also be conceivable for the Dualshock 5. Anyone who wants to, could check his pulse while he’s playing a horror game or getting involved in an exciting multiplayer game. Granted, that would end up being mere gimmickry. But maybe in the next generation, Sony will be launching sports games modeled after Nintendo, which would make good use of the heartbeat sensor.
More information about the PS5:
