Xbox head Phil Spencer enjoys the innovation that Sony has pushed with the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller, stating that innovation by any of the major console manufacturers can only be good for the industry as a whole.
“I applaud what they did with the controller, not actually for–well, I shouldn’t say not for the specifics of the controller, but more than just the specifics of the controller,” Spencer told . “I think for all of us in the industry, we should learn from each other and the innovation that we all push on, whether it’s distribution of business model like Game Pass, or controller tech, or the Wii back in the day, which clearly had an impact on us when we went off and did Kinect and Sony did the Move.”
Spencer went on to add that innovation in the console and controller spaces can be welcome inspiration for others. The key, he clarifies, is knowing whether something will “become a common part of a platform that developers and players are going to look for” or “a specific scenario on a specific piece of hardware.” Spencer said that Xbox is trying to keep its eyes open for that distinction when developing new innovations for its consoles, including controller tech and VR.
For those unfamiliar, the PS5’s DualSense is pretty cool–provided developers use it well, it could be a game-changer for the industry. The controller supports haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, a microphone and speaker, a touchpad, and an internal gyroscope. All of these come together to create different sensations while you play certain games on PS5. For example, walking across sand feels different than walking on grass in Astro’s Playroom, and you can tell the difference when you’re slicing into flesh as opposed to clanging your sword against a stone wall in Demon’s Souls.
