After loads of speculation, gifs based on official press images, and leaked photos that showed the DualSense at ridiculous angles, Geoff Keighley finally gave us our first proper DualSense DualShock 4 comparison, showing how the two controllers line up.
A new member of the family. #PlayStation5 #SummerGameFest pic.twitter.com/xuCTkBmq8h
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) July 17, 2020
The reveal came as part of Keighley’s DualSense hands-on today, where he was actually able to play with the controller and give his own impressions of its features and how it feels to use. He posted the above image to put to rest any rumors about the DualSense’s size and allow people to see the comparison for themselves.
The image definitely shows the bulk increase in the DualSense controller, and it’s taller top to bottom. The grips have more surface area, perhaps to enhance the “sense” part of the experience by making more contact with your hand, and there is more controller beneath the thumbsticks, maybe in an effort to fit all the tech inside.
Cropping and layering the two controllers in the image (without resizing, but mirroring one to account for the camera angle) shows that the DualSense isn’t significantly wider than the DualShock 4. The stick distance is virtually the same, as are the face/d-pad button placements. The touchpad is also a bit larger. It’s not an exact science, given the fact that perspective and camera angles are a thing to contend with, but it gives us our first real-world side by side DualSense DualShock 4 comparison.
Keighley’s hands-on impressions didn’t really give us much more than we already knew about the DualSense. It didn’t reveal any secret unannounced features like back buttons or even talk about the “Create” buttons revised functionality. What it did was afford a real person the opportunity to play with it, see how it feels, and let the audience know about it in a less “official marketing” way, but it further confirmed that the true innovation in the DualSense controller will be in how it actually feels once in the player’s hands, something that can’t really be conveyed via a video.
Sony also confirmed in the DualSense live stream that PS5 preorders will be announced ahead of time and won’t be a surprise, so players will be able to prepare for it.
