The PlayStation 5 controller, the DualSense, has had somewhat of a mixed reaction. While some developers and players praised the radically different controller, others found features that did not meet expectations. The release of the PlayStation 5 is still a while away and fans will have time to become acquainted with the controller which promises to add plenty of features. With this said, it seems that the reveal of the controller was not done in the fashion that Sony had desired. The reveal of the DualSense seems to have been pushed out before PlayStation had intended.
The PlayStation franchise is the best-selling home console of all time and as a result, expectations for the next iteration of the console have been incredibly high. The PlayStation 5 looks to be yet another jump forward in terms of hardware and software, and this kind of revolution was illustrated by the DualSense controller. Despite this, many were concerned by the color scheme of the controller as it differed from the one base color that players had become accustomed to. This situation may be a result of Sony being unable to prepare players for the controller the way that was planned.
Insiders at Sony have attributed mounting leaks as a reason for an early reveal of the DualSense. The controller had been distributed to various developers and as a result, more information was being revealed than what Sony had anticipated. Alongside fears that public press conferences will be delayed indefinitely because of the coronavirus, Sony revealed the controller earlier than planned and without a compelling presentation. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how the PlayStation 5 is marketed and whether the current pandemic may cause delays to deliver the right message to consumers.
While comparisons between the Xbox Series X and the PS5 continue, it will be intriguing to see which marketing strategy sways players. A huge part of the appeal of the PlayStation 4 was its focus on games and exclusive titles. Yet during the current global pandemic, the development for many titles has been delayed and this may well impact the fanfare that surrounds the release of the PlayStation 5. Whether this will lead to a change in strategy for the release of the console remains to be seen.
It seems that the DualSense suffered from a rushed release without the grounding of an event. Despite this, there are certain features of the new controller, such as haptic feedback, which should excite fans, even if the appearance is not to everyone's taste. Context is needed for substantial reveals and the DualSense lacked this, as a result, Sony may now take time to reconsider how other announcements are made in order to retain excitement for the PlayStation 5.
PlayStation 5 is set to launch Holiday of 2020.
Source: Bloomberg