Comparison of DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers.
When the next-gen PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles hit the market in late 2020, both systems will also come with a new generation of controllers that act as an interface between the game and the player.
Both Sony, Microsoft and Sony rely on tried-and-tested, but also on new technologies and design adaptations for their solutions. In this article we compare both controllers and compare them in different categories. Here we go!
Controller names
PS5: Sony says goodbye to the “Dualshock” naming of the PS5 controller, but gives it the previously unfamiliar name “DualSense”. This indicates that the player may experience the controller with even more senses.
Xbox Series X: Microsoft apparently does without a new artificial word for the next controller generation, but simply calls the Series X controller “Xbox Series X controller”.
Design & haptics
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DualSense: Compared to the dual shock iterations of PS2, PS3 and PS4, the DualSense comes with significantly wider, longer and more rounded handle horns, making it much more reminiscent of an Xbox or Nintendo controller than its predecessors. It remains to be seen whether this will make the controller feel richer & better in the hand.
However, the coloring of the DualSense is much more striking. For the first time, Sony is focusing on two parts: the majority of the controller is white, but there are also black accents in the lower half of the controller. A purely black variant has not yet been announced.
Striking color scheme for the DualSense.
Series X controller: Microsoft has not changed the basic design of the controller compared to the Xbox One pad, the Series X controller is almost like an egg to another. However, the structure on the rear triggers was roughened up a little to make them a bit easier to grip and the directional pad is now a mixture of D-Pad and “control recess”, which the Elite Controller has.
Accordingly, the haptics are unlikely to change much. But it doesn’t have to, because it was already ideal with the Xbox One pad.
The usual sight with the Series-X controller.
Button layout
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DualSense: Unsurprisingly, the PS5 controller uses the typical Sony fire buttons (circle, square, X and triangle) and the stick arrangement “bottom left and bottom right”. The buttons and the directional pad are now transparent and are reminiscent of the PS Vita. The touchpad has been slightly enlarged compared to the Dualshock 4 and is now trapezoidal.
The Share button of the Dualshock 4 is replaced by the Create button, but the functionality remains the same: Here you can quickly take screenshots and video clips and share them with others.
The microphone button has been added. The DualSense has a built-in microphone that enables chatting without a headset. The button mutes the microphone.
The touchpad is now a little bigger, a little below is the button for the microphone.
Series X controller: Microsoft doesn’t dare to experiment too much. We already know the button and stick arrangements from the Xbox One pad, so the sticks are in the tried and tested “top left and top right” configuration.
But there is a new button: Similar to the Sony counterpart, the Series X controller gets a share button. The function is identical, here you also take screenshots and in-game video clips.
New on the Series X controller: the Share button
Special features
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DualSense: The rear L2 and R2 triggers of the controller are adaptive, so developers can set the resistance that the triggers should offer depending on the game situation. For example, it should feel more realistic to stretch a bow string in a game.
The internal Rumble motors of the DualSense have also been improved so that the feedback should now be significantly finer and better graded for the player and it is possible, for example, to “feel” surfaces in racing games even more precisely. The microphone already mentioned allows in-game chats even without a dedicated microphone.
The L2 and R2 triggers on the DualSense are adaptive
Series X controller: Triggers with resistance and sensitive rumble motors already know Xbox fans from the elite controller, which is why Microsoft’s main focus for the Series X controller is speed. Technologies such as dynamic latency input ensure that information is sent to the console and back even faster to further reduce input delays and latencies.
In addition, the controller should also be compatible with other devices such as Xbox One, PCs, tablets and smartphones. Once connected, the Series X controller will apparently be able to “remember”.
It’s hard to show DLI on a picture, but we’re excited to see how fast the Series X controller really is.
Power supply
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DualSense: As with the Dualshock 4, Sony relies on a battery permanently installed in the controller. Nothing is known about the runtime, but it should be significantly longer than with Dualshock 4. This point was often negatively criticized, which is why an improvement is very desirable here.
The battery is charged via a USB-C port on the top of the controller.
Series X controller: As with the One Controller, Microsoft has opted for a power supply using 2 AA batteries, according to its own information, because a majority of the fans wanted and wanted this. However, there will be an optionally available rechargeable battery pack that, like the DualSense, is charged via a USB-C connection on the top.
Conclusion
Both controllers tend to focus on evolution rather than revolution, even if the DualSense dares a little more in terms of design than the Series X controller. But Microsoft is already coming from a very strong position and only has to improve subtleties for the next generation to be able to score again.
The comparison also shows: At the end of the year, two well thought-out and hopefully functional input devices await us. Choosing a “winner” is of course not possible due to a lack of experience and will probably not be in the future either.
Because the controller is very much about personal taste (keyword “stick layout”), which makes “better or worse” difficult.
Learn more about PS5 and Xbox Series X.
We have summarized everything you need to know about the two next-gen consoles in two large overview articles.
What are your thoughts on the two controllers?
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