Xbox Possibly Working On A New DualSense-Style Controller

Controllers are such an incredibly important part of a console's design that a good one or a bad one can really make or break a system's future. The PS5 was celebrated for the DualSense when it launched in 2020, and two years on, it seems Xbox might be attempting to follow in PlayStation's innovative footsteps with a controller inspired by the PS5's.

That's according to Shpeshal Nick who revealed on the XboxEra podcast (via Idle Sloth) that Xbox is rumored to be working on a controller that has clearly been inspired by the DualSense. Following rumors that Xbox had created a prototype controller that includes an LCD screen, Nick revealed when he asked if the new rumors were an extension of that, he was apparently told no.

“At Xbox they're internally prototyping and even testing, possibly in-house testing, a new Xbox controller with a touchpad like the DualSense and the DualShock 4,” Nick revealed. The insider added that the rumored prototype also has what his source described as “HD Rumble” which is just another way of saying it will have haptics, again like the DualSense.

Nick points out multiple times that even though this prototype likely exists, it's far from being a product Xbox owners can get their hands on. In fact, there's no guarantee it will ever be a controller that's on the market. He and Jeff Grubb point to something that was dubbed Project Keystone which was confirmed to be real earlier this year. A small device through which players can stream Xbox games. Phil Spencer confirmed it's real and effectively finished, but its launch remains years away due to Xbox being unable to properly price it.

There's no doubt PlayStation won the controller battle in the latest chapter of the console war. Spencer admitted last year that Xbox's controller development should aspire to be more like the DualSense. It seems he and Xbox really meant that and somewhere in the console creator's HQ, there's an Xbox controller inspired by the PS5. Hopefully it won't meet the same fate as Project Keystone.