Another week, another PS5 leak…. maybe. Images of a black DualSense controller have appeared online, but don’t start making plans to preorder a black variant PS5 and accessories just yet. From the looks of these images, the black DualSense is most likely just be a production mold prototype without final coloring for its shell or any other number of explanations, such as a color variant test. The awkward look of the white face buttons certainly doesn’t seem to be a “final” design, and without official word yet from Sony regarding color variants, count on the white and black dual-tone DualSense being the “default” look for the PS5, especially at launch.
Take a look at the photos courtesy of @IamAlex2006 on Twitter:
@geronimo_73 PlayStation 5 DualSense controller has been leaked showing a black variant of the controller. Source is unknown. #PlayStation #PlayStation5 #DualSense #Controller #BlackDualSence #PS5 #StateOfPlay pic.twitter.com/rBtVAaWh0C
— TypicalAsian (@IamAlex2006) August 5, 2020
The main thing to keep in mind with these images is that we don’t even know when they were originally taken. I don’t think they are necessarily “fake” or photoshopped, but I do believe they are being presented out of context. During PS5 production, it’s likely that Sony prototyped and produced dozens of controllers in various form factors and color configurations. This could simply be a production mockup to see what an all-black shell would look like on the controller. Or it could have been an early production model just built for the sake of shape and size. Don’t take these images to mean that Sony is working on an official black variant, at least yet. The launch PS5 will be the model we’ve seen, with Sony focusing marketing around that aesthetic as the default look and design for the PS5.
That said, Sony’s promised to talk about color variants and special editions for the PS5 at some point down the line. The alternate colors for the DualShock 4 have been incredibly popular, as have the various special edition PS4s. A recently leaked production photo seems to indicate the PS5’s outer white shell will be easily removable, potentially redefining how the manufacturer handles special editions and console customizations. But for now, don’t take these images for anything more than what they are, which is a couple of blurry photos of a black DualSense controller with awkward white face buttons; almost certainly not the final design for a potential black variant if Sony’s history of controller design is any indication.
