Who would have guessed it that we’d see new Playstation controllers released for a games console almost 27 years old? We didn’t!
The geeks over at Retro Fighters have again released another new controller. Previously it was the Retro Fighters Duelist and the Brawler64 Wireless controller but now they’re moving into Playstation territory with a brand new controller to play your best PS1 games in a modern way.
They’ve called it the “Defender Wireless”, and yes, you guessed it these new Playstation controllers are completely wireless using a dongle that slides into your controller ports.
Retro Fighters have spent over 12 months developing this controller, most of that was probably spent on designing the wireless connector on such an old console.
Design & Specifications
The Retro Fighters PS Wireless controller comes with premium features and designs. Featuring 2.4 Ghz wireless technology and a built-in rechargeable battery. The PS Wireless gamepad has a wireless range of 30+ feet and a battery life of 10+ hours per charge.
We’ll admit, the cable will be missed, it’s a nostalgic factor to any old gaming console. Having to keep it away from pets, or friends tripping over it mid game was all part of the fun, and it’s a great weapon to whip your siblings with should they beat you while playing the best PS1 racing games.
The new Playstation controllers feature 2.4 GHz technology, allowing crispy signal quality when gaming You charge the controllers via USB-C.
Around the new Playstation controllers you’ll find pressure sensitive buttons, an ergonomic yet retro design, turbo functionality, responsive analogue sticks (that probably won’t drift), and vibration feedback.
All of this is packed into a new controller that pays respect to the original. For example, Retro Fighters are releasing a vintage grey version of the controller alongside a wide number of transparent colours.
If you take a look at the action buttons you’ll also find that they’re very similar to the shapes we are all so familiar with. Obviously for copyright reasons they couldn’t use identical shapes, but they managed to get as close as possible.
If they’re using the same buttons, and sticks as their previous controllers (which they probably are) they will feel great. The DPAD is responsive and moves well in any direction. The analogue sticks although not as rubbery as we’d like are a great addition to the controller.
The previous Sony controllers had some what too much rubber and aged poorly but it seems Retro Fighters have got this one right. You’ll find your home buttons, start and select which also pay homage to the original and your LED lights which show wireless connection and battery life.
Overall the new Playstation controllers look awesome, and it’s great that they’re each compatible with both the PS1 and PS2 meaning you can kill two birds with one stone when picking it up.
Pricing & Release Dates
The Kickstarter has officially gone live, and already they’ve been backed by by almost 1,000 retro gamers in just 48 hours which we just have to congratulate them for!
Backers that pledge $34 or more will receive one of the new Playstation controllers in there colour of choice. This gives backers 15% off the original $40 price tag.
This pricing is very reasonable seeing as the quality of their previous products have been fairly good, and that it connect to not one, but two consoles.
The official release will be towards January 2022, so backers can expect their products to be shipped around or even before then.
