If you’ve seen a PS5 DualSense controller, own one, or read any of the hype around the new-gen joypad, then you’ll know it has a texture to the rear of the device.
This texture comprises thousands of tiny squares, circles, triangles, and Xs, representing the action buttons on the front of the DualSense. Now, Sony has revealed exactly how the symbols got there.
Sony Reveals How it Textured the DualSense Controller
Flip your DualSense over and you’ll see that the back has countless tiny symbols from the controller’s action buttons. Well, actually, you may not see them, as they are incredibly tiny. But believe us, they’re there.
It is hard to imagine how they even exist, they’re so small, but Sony has revealed to theverge.com, exactly how these 40,000 symbols came to be. It sounds like quite a painstaking process, to say the least.
After many failed designs, Sony finally settled on the micro-texture it felt was perfect. The mass of symbols—all only a few microns high and created from hand-drawn designs—is there not only as decoration; it also provides grip when you use the DualSense.
Designers painstakingly cut these miniscule symbols into a mold, using precise laser etchers that work in 3D, rather than just cutting through a single 2D plane (find out more about laser etchers).
Once the manufacturing machinery injects the plastic into the mold, it neatly settles into every available space, taking on the texture you hold in your hands. Clever stuff, especially considering the scale of this modeling.
Can You Find the Texture Anywhere Else?
Well, actually, you can find the texture elsewhere. Sony knows continuity is key with design. So, you can find the texture across the whole PlayStation 5 ecosystem.
From its DualSense controllers, through to the Media remote control, the PS5 wireless headset, and even the console itself, you’ll find this texture on them all.
It isn’t the first time Sony has textured its control pads, either. When Sony released the DualShock 4 alongside the PS4, that too had a textured surface on its fascia. This was more to do with gripping the pad, though, rather than also having a cosmetic value.
PS5 DualSense: A Perfect Controller?
OK, so the PS5 DualSense might not be perfect, but it is a splendid piece of design and it works really well (save for one or two gripes), too.
It is Sony’s attention to detail, here, that really sets the DualSense apart from its competition. With Sony really hyping immersion and integration prior to the release of the PS5, it is nice to see that it has really put its money where its mouth is, design-wise.