A rumor spreading overseas suggests that starting January 31, 2027, Sony’s standard PS5 package may no longer include the DualSense controller. The claim originates from the founder of Insider Gaming, not an official Sony announcement. On 5ch’s “Hardware/Industry” (Geha) board, many users reacted by calling it a “de facto price hike,” noting that a standalone DualSense costs around 10,000 yen. Others pointed to the precedent of the PS Vita TV, arguing this might just be a change in how it’s sold rather than the bundled version disappearing entirely, while some said it would actually be welcome news for anyone buying a second controller. Opinions were split.
PS5 to Sell DualSense Separately? Controller-less Sales May Begin January 2027
It has emerged that the PlayStation 5 may start shipping without its standard DualSense controller. The claim, which originated with the founder of Insider Gaming, has drawn attention overseas, with reports suggesting that starting January 31, 2027, the standard PS5 package will ship without a controller. However, this has not been officially announced by Sony at this time.
Bundle Contents May Change From Late January 2027
Source: sumahodigest.com / Original article here
a single controller runs about 10,000 yen on its own
A few years back that would've been considered flat-out defective lol
How are the PlayStation faithful gonna spin this one?
so… a price hike?
The Vita TV had a standalone version with just the console and no controller, plus a 'Value Pack' bundling a controller and an 8GB memory card.
If you ask which one counted as the 'standard package,' it was actually the standalone version.
So it's not that the controller-bundled version disappears entirely — it's just that kind of sales approach, isn't it?
what a barrier to entry lmaooooooo
taking the 'entertainment' thing way too far lmaooooooo
You know nobody actually uses that
since you can already choose between Joy-Cons and the Pro Controller anyway
Honestly you don't even need the screen either
Just give me the bare minimum for 40,000 yen
It's kind of annoying when companies find some excuse to sell essential stuff separately, like phones without a charger
Makes me miss the days when accessories just came free
I didn't realize the newest tablets charge via PD chargers,
so when I used a Type-C charger from an old flip phone, it threw an error and started overcharging
You probably haven't seen it, but a single PS5 controller costs over 10,000 yen
Isn't that basically what the Wolverine edition did?
If they make people buy the controller separately, retailers get a bigger cut from that sale, so it could partly compensate retailers for losing disc sales
All I can picture is scalpers snapping up every controller
They pulled the same move with the Blu-ray drive too, didn't they
Isn't this exactly the kind of situation they were planning for?
Double-dipping on profits with official controllers
I think it's just a desperate move to disguise a price hike
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
The PS5’s DualSense controller isn’t cheap on its own, starting at around 8,800 yen standalone — a significant cost relative to the console itself. As one Vita TV example raised in the thread shows, Sony has previously treated a controller-less console as its “standard package” before. In this case too, removing something that was previously bundled and selling it separately will likely raise the total amount customers end up paying, even if the console’s listed price stays the same or appears to drop — which is why many in the thread called it a “de facto price hike.” At the same time, some argued it’s actually reasonable for people buying a second console or who just want to replace their controller, so opinions were divided. This information originated with the founder of Insider Gaming and has not been officially confirmed by Sony. Many details remain unclear — including the release timing, whether it applies only to the base model or the Pro as well, and how it would be handled in Japan — so for now this should be read strictly as a rumor.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, Geha) thread “PS5 to Sell DualSense Separately? Controller-less Sales May Begin January 2027.”
