Sony undoubtedly made waves when debuting the DualSense controller for PlayStation 5. A total redesign from PS4's DualShock, the DualSense features a total shape overhaul along with truly next-gen features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The new functionalities have been lauded by just about everyone who's tried them, including head of Xbox Phil Spencer.
Spencer was a guest on the most recent episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast, talking about what the future holds for Xbox. While he states his company won't be releasing any major accessories or peripherals anytime in the near future, he does suggest that a new version of the Xbox Series X controller is a strong possibility.
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The Xbox head says the company has been thinking about bringing more games to more places through different kinds of devices, and that there's "probably some work that we'll do on the controller." Not to say he isn't satisfied with the one Xbox currently has, lauding Microsoft Gaming Engineering head Elizabeth Hamren's team for the work they've done so far. Spencer goes on to compliment Sony's innovations with PS5's DualSense, revealing he thinks Sony's done a "nice job" with its controller, and that Xbox has apparently been looking at some of its features and thinks "there are things that we should go do."
Spencer has actually complimented the PlayStation 5 controller before, applauding the same aspects of the DualSense last November. Later in the Kinda Funny Gamescast, the Xbox head was asked specifically about the chances of the company breaking into the VR or AR gaming space, to which he replied it it's "not really" something it's looking to do at the moment. He says that his company is watching what happens on PC, and that he would be looking for a fully untethered experience, a la the Oculus Quest 2. He theorizes that translating Xbox IP to the different platform would be the biggest hurdle, plus the complexities of first versus third-party partnerships.
Microsoft tossing around the idea of implementing PS5 controller features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers onto the Xbox Series X controller comes as little surprise. Earlier this year, Xbox surveyed gamers about PS5's DualSense controller features. The console experience survey asked Xbox Series X owners whether they thought their controller felt "next-gen" and if there were features on PlayStation controllers that players wished were also on Xbox. While new controllers oftentimes take years to develop and produce, Phil Spencer's comments coupled with the overt survey suggests an updated design could be coming sooner than later.
While PlayStation and Xbox have a semi-pseudo rivalry, Microsoft is already incorporating its competitor's controllers. A recent Xbox Game Pass ad features a PlayStation 4 controller, and while not the PS5's DualSense, it could indicate that Sony is already sharing notes, and a revamped Xbox Series X controller could be on the horizon.
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Source: Kinda Funny Gamescast (via VGC)