PS5 black edition teased by new controller leak

PS5 in black render
(Image credit: LetsGoDigital)

An image of a black DualSense controller has popped up on Twitter and hinted that a black PS5 could be coming alongside the two-tone color version. 

A Twitter user going by the name of TypicalAsian tweeted a trio of photos that show a black version of Sony’s upcoming PS5 controller. But it’s not completely back, with what appear to be white buttons effectively reversing the two-tone look of the official DualSense controller. 

The images look pretty rough, so we need to take them with a degree of skepticism. And there’s a good chance that the black controller in the pictures are just ones of prototypes for the DualSense before Sony settled on its mostly white color scheme.  

The white D-pad, action and option buttons look rather ugly against the matte black of the controller. And the aesthetic is quite some way from the established low-key look of previous PlayStation controllers.

That being said, the design of the PS5 is quite a departure from its previous consoles, with the machine dividing opinion in the Tom’s Guide ranks. So there’s a good chance that Sony might indeed mix up the color option for the PS5, and a black version would seem like an obvious choice. 

Sony has come out and said the PS5 will be very customizable, suggesting more console colors might be in the works. And a leaked photo of what looks like the PS5 side panels would suggest they can be replaced and swapped out. A mostly black PS5 isn’t going to be the most outlandish of next-generation console finishes, as a gold-covered edition from a company that effectively blings-up new tech is set to go on sale at the end of the year when the PS5 launches. 

In comparison, the all-black Xbox Series X could look rather dull to a PS5, even if it just comes out in its current white livery. But beauty is only skin deep, and we’re more concerned about what capabilities the next-generation consoles have and the games they will deliver, such as Horizon Forbidden West and Halo Infinite. We should have a better idea of how the PS5 and Xbox Series X stack up in the wild when both consoles release this holiday. 

Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.