This year has seen the release of next-generation video game consoles, with the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 driving the industry forward in exciting new ways. Both consoles offer major leaps in terms of speed and performance, cutting down on loading times while offering games with unmatched graphical fidelity. Still, the approach between the two companies has been radically different, with Xbox pushing to become a platform while PlayStation tries to drive a traditional console experience.
Xbox's heavy emphasis on Game Pass, combined with the Xbox Series X adopting the same UI as the Xbox One, prove that the company wants its products to be similar, just with different options for different budgets. Meanwhile, PlayStation has radically overhauled its UI and hardware, with a console that looks strikingly futuristic and a refined interface.
Both approaches are valid, and both have their appeal to their respective audience, though there's a clear-cut advantage PlayStation has that Xbox needs to adopt if it wants to captivate as many gamers as possible with its ecosystem, that being the DualSense controller.
DualSense vs. Xbox
Xbox has, more or less, maintained a consistent feel with its controllers since the original Xbox console made it to market, innovating on the design to create one of the most ergonomic controllers available. There are exceptions, like Xbox's "The Duke," but for the most part, fans know what they're going to get when they put hands on an Xbox controller.
Enter the DualSense, PlayStation's new controller launching for the PS5. It maintains the thumbstick positioning of its older brother, the DualShock 4, but that's just about it. The rest of the controller boasts a bold new design, with a bigger feel that's, ironically, a bit more in line with Xbox's offering. What separates the DualSense from its competition, though, is the technology inside of it, which turns it from an ergonomic controller to one of the most innovative pieces of gaming hardware ever made.
It's difficult to describe just how much of an effect the controller has on gameplay without putting hands on it. In many ways, it's reminiscent of the Joy-Con, with Astro Bot Rescue Mission demonstrating what the DualSense is capable of in a similar manner to 1-2 Switch showing off what the Joy-Cons were able to accomplish with rumble. The DualSense is bigger though, which gives the feeling more depth, and the adaptive triggers have a lot of potential – though they may end up being divisive.
On the other hand, the Xbox Series X controller is a subtle refinement of the Xbox One controller. The grips are heavily texturized, it's a bit more compact, and it has a good feeling of weight to it. There's still rumble, but not to the degree of the DualSense controller. The Xbox Series X is still an excellent iteration, it improves on the older design in every conceivable way. Stacked up against the DualSense, though, it can't compete with the technology on offer.
First-Party Benefits
While Xbox has been criticized for its lack of first-party exclusive games, the company has acquired a formidable lineup of studios recently, most notably Bethesda. The exclusive games that Xbox currently offers are practically begging for their own version of the DualSense controller, with the rumble undoubtedly making a huge difference for Xbox's games. Take for instance Gears 5. The game has a broad arsenal of punchy weapons that would feel great with better rumble and adaptive triggers. Perhaps the biggest benefit, however, would be the Lancer's chainsaw vibrating in the hand.
It's easy to imagine the benefits in all of Xbox's other exclusives too, like the possibility for rolling waves across the bottom of a controller in Sea of Thieves, or engines starting in any of the Forza games. During the launch of the Xbox One, the controller's rumble features were praised for how great of an improvement they were over the Xbox 360. There hasn't been a significant leap this time, though.
The problem here is that, despite Xbox Series X's raw power advantage over the PS5, the DualSense could be enough of a draw to make the gap not matter. Consumer interest is already heavily on PlayStation's side, and while Xbox remains adamant that it doesn't care about console sales numbers, having the better selling console is still much better for the ecosystem. However, with a new roster of triple-a exclusives, Xbox Game Pass, and a controller to match PlayStation's, it would be hard to deny Xbox's advantages. Plus, if Xbox were to adopt a DualSense-style controller, more third-party developers would likely take advantage of it and the DualSense.
What Lies Ahead
The PS5 and the Xbox Series X are just at the beginning of their lifecycles. Doubtlessly, the next three years or so will see both platforms change as quirks are worked out and the video game industry evolves. As is the new norm with consoles, there will likely be another round of console refreshes, with slimmer versions of the PS5 and Xbox Series X practically being guaranteed due to how unpopular their size has been.
For Xbox, that could prove to be the perfect time to unveil an overhauled Xbox controller with better rumble, adaptive triggers, and any other innovations it wants to bring to the table. That may be too little too late, but it would ensure that every new Xbox owner has a stellar controller to match, plus early adopters could still upgrade. It's the best of both worlds, keeping the landscape competitive without risking criticism for immediately forcing players to upgrade from the console's included controller.
The question is whether or not Xbox deems it necessary. The Xbox Series X controller certainly isn't bad — far from it, in fact. But the DualSense is much more innovative, and if there's a single, defining fact about the PS5 and Xbox Series X console generation, it's that both are looking to innovate in the gaming industry. The approaches to that goal may be different, but there's a lot PlayStation and Xbox can learn from each other, hardware advancements included.