The DualShock has become an instantly recognizable designspanning all four PlayStation generations. The original twin-analog controller has lasted all these years and now it can be a cute travel companion.
A Taiwanese company is capitalizing on thepopularity of the DualShock 4by minimizing the controller for a bite-sized key ring. While it is cute enough alone as a dangling reminder ofPlayStationloyalty, the company EasyCard Corporation is making it much more useful and practical.
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Through an official partnership with Sony, these DualShock key rings can actually be used as a public transport card. The controller uses the e-smartcard system which is primarily used for transport services as well as select retailers. This means that owners of the “DS4 Easy Card” can opt to use their controller as a way to pay in style. The official Taiwanese PlayStation account shared a video of the controller in action.
The controller itself isn’t just a heap of plastic with a chip inside. The buttons can be pushed to your hearts content and it even features a LED to brighten up the DualShock 4’s light bar. While the video only shows the white light, according to Taiwan News, on a successful transaction it will flash blue.
The early reception to the DS4 Easy Card has been a resounding success with EasyCard ramping up production on the next batch. The key ring ornament is currently going for around $13 after conversion making it a much more affordable novelty. The expected early launch numbers boomed from 28,000 to 480,000 due to the high demand. It currently seems that there are no plans for the DualShock key companion to get any kind of widespread international release.
Although the little DualShock 4 key ring is a wonderful novelty, it will soon be an icon of a previous generation. TheDualSense is the next controllerdesign by Sony for the PlayStation 5. While the DualShock name is synonymous branding with every PlayStation, the DualSense will be the next step in controllers. The company has alreadytrademarked a new slogan for the DualSense, pushing the name as something to recognize.
While early critics of the controller called it a heftier design, it may be in line to what will be the biggest console yet. While Sony did not show the PlayStation 5 at its recent unveiling, some users have deduced through the disc drive that thePlayStation 5 will be massive.
While the mini-DualShock 4 charm is currently a Taiwanese exclusive, its rousing success gives it a sliver of a chance to receive a wider launch. Even if it doesn’t feature the built-in chip technology, it can still serve as a trinket for a soon-to-be yesteryear in gaming.
ThePlayStation 5has no official release date but is expected to launch later this year.
