A new console means a new controller

There’s been plenty of rumours flying around about futuristic looking dev kits and a radical design overhaul, but all of these seemed a bit far fetched given Sony’s track record of relatively conservative console design. They’ve been the most successful console manufacturer since the launch of the original PlayStation back in the 90s, so if it’s not broken, why try to fix it?

At least, that’s what we though until Sony unveiled the PS5’s controller. The DualSense is perhaps the biggest overhaul of the iconic DualShock controller, at least since joy-sticks were added, and also hints at a bold new direction for the design of the PS5, perhaps away from the standard ‘black box’ look that Sony have gone for since the PS2.

An October release?

Past console launches and shopping trends suggested that Sony would most likely be launching the PS5 in November, perhaps a couple of weeks before Black Friday to ensure their new console didn’t get lost in the hype for the biggest shopping day of the year. However, a job posting – which Sony have subsequently distanced themselves from – suggests that the console may in fact see the light of day earlier, in October. Both Sony and Microsoft are acutely aware that getting their console released first – even by a couple of weeks – could have a big boost to their long-term prospects. Neither will want to blink first and risk the other company bumping their release date.