Sony's surprise reveal of the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller got plenty of fans talking about the new design, but it had an unexpected side effect. "Xbox Controller" trended on Twitter after the announcement, as many users memed the PS5 controller, comparing it to Microsoft's gamepad models.
The DualSense is PlayStation fans' first real look at Sony's next-gen design sensibilities, since the company has yet to reveal what the PS5 looks like. In the absence of an official reveal, fans have had to rely on leaked dev kit photos and concept designs by fellow fans. The PS5 controller reveal finally changed things, giving fans a glimpse at the sort of design themes that will likely be reflected in the console itself.
But many on Twitter weren't talking about the controller's own merits after the announcement. "Xbox Controller" trended, with more than 30,000 tweets worldwide. Most were memes claiming the PS5 controller is simply a doppelganger of the Xbox Ones'. But is the DualSense really that similar to Microsoft's various controller designs?
Is The PS5's DualSense An Xbox Controller Copy?
Despite the surface-level similarities, the DualSense has a number of small differences that keep it distinct from Xbox's various controllers. The DualSense's segmented D-pad resembles a PS Vita's rather than Xbox controllers' one-piece D-pad, and the controller features the DualShocks' traditional convex joystick tops instead of Xbox's concave sticks. The triggers follow this same pattern, as the Xbox controller's are curved inward, while the DualSense's are more convex (exemplified in the photos from Twitter user Nagato below). The most significant difference between the two controllers, however, is the placement of the thumbsticks. Xbox controllers offset the left stick, placing it above the D-pad, while the DualSense (and the DualShocks before it) feature parallel sticks along the bottom of the controller.
If anything, the Switch Pro Controller is a more blatant copy of Xbox's controller design (memed in the viral tweet from user MKbxrda below). That being said, it's hard to deny the DualSense is a significant shift towards an Xbox-like design. PlayStation controllers have kept the same segmented, bone-like profile since the PS1, while Microsoft's controllers have generally contrasted themselves from Sony's with a more rounded shape. Even with the subtler differences above, it's absolutely fair to say the DualSense looks a lot like an Xbox controller, since it shows a clear departure from Sony's trademark controller style towards Microsoft's.
Still, the offset sticks on Xbox's controllers provide a substantially different feel to how Microsoft's controllers play. Since the DualSense keeps the parallel sticks, it will most likely still feel distinctly PlayStation, regardless of its superficial similarities to Xbox's controllers.
The PlayStation 5 will launch sometime in the 2020 holiday season.