The moment you’ve long awaited for has finally arrived. You’ve been dying to play Elden Ring and Call of Duty: Vanguard for what feels like infinity. The long-awaited PS5 is finally in your hands. So, how many controllers are in the box?
What you will find upon opening the new PlayStation 5 is that it comes with one controller.
That’s great if you’re a solo player, but what if there are multiple people in the house who want to start a multiplayer game? The answer to that can be found in the PS5 bundles.
About the PlayStation 5 and Bundle Options
There hasn’t been, in recent memory, a gaming console that was as impossible to get your hands on as the PS5. As consoles began trickling out to the public in November 2020, there has been a massive surge of preorders and obsession.
People have taken advantage of those desperate enough to pay outrageous prices by listing the system for sale at over $15,000. Others have scammed gamers by sending them PS5 boxes with rocks in them. It’s a crazy world out there.
One unique feature that people are excited about is the disk vs digital-only option. The PS5 takes off $100 from the retail price if you get the digital-only edition console. It’s not surprising that there is a digital-only option, considering in the past Microsoft was going to release an XBOX that required an internet connection to use.
They didn’t go through with forcing the internet issue, but as more games are streaming, it seems like Sony is incentivizing the transition. The new XBOX consoles, X and S, sell for about the same amount but are both digital and disk.
So to say the PS5 is a hot commodity is an understatement. That means if you have one, you might need to invite some gamer buddies over. Before you send out those invites, though, let’s get you equipped. To begin with, the controller that comes with the standard PS5 purchase is a DualSense wireless controller.
It was specifically designed to immerse the player further into the game. The triggers are meant to mirror interaction with a real object. It will also give you vibration feedback to mimic changes in the digital environment and selections made. Don’t have a headset for MMORPGs? No sweat, this controller comes with a microphone that can also be muted.
With a next-gen controller like that, it’s easy to imagine wanting to add at least one more to your collection. There are multiple ways to get that second or third controller but we’re going to focus on the bundle. Here are some of the different packages available:
- GameStop. A typical way for this popular gaming retailer to sell consoles is in a bundle format. With the still limited quantities of PS5s available, it’s not surprising they’re trying to give you more bang for your buck. With the digital-only edition, their bundle comes with an extra red DualSense controller. Other goodies included are a controller charging station, a $50 gift card for this store, a $50 PlayStation gift card, and a PlayStation Plus subscription that lasts a year. The other bundle is for the digital-only edition as well, but instead of the $100 in cards, there is a 1TB hard drive to maximize storage.
- Best Buy. Unlike the others on the list, this electronics giant wants to make sure you get your extra controller in the color you want, black, red, or white. Don’t want a second controller? Get one of several games. Don’t like any of those? Instead, pick your own with a $75 gift card to the PlayStation store. Don’t want any of that? Get a headset. The top-tier option from Best Buy comes with the digital edition and has two controllers, $75 in PlayStation cash, and a year-long PlayStation Plus subscription.
- Walmart. There are several groups of gaming materials here for the PS5. One of the most popular is the disk version and it comes with that cosmic red controller but also a headset, remote, microfiber cleaning cloth, accessory starter kit, and that coveted new CoD game, Vanguard. For almost $200 less, swap the game and headset for a charging station. The next bundle comes with an extra midnight black controller, headset, remote, accessory kit, cloth, and Battlefield 2042. There are a couple of versions just with different games, the other one is with Marvel’s Spider-Man.
- Sears. Along with the console, this bundle comes with a dual charging deck that returns power to both controllers at the same time. This pack only comes with one controller but it has something unique that the other bundles don’t and that’s a silicone skin cover for the controller. It’s supposed to improve the gameplay as well as the grip for a better in-game experience. In addition, headphones, four thumb grips, an accessory kit, and Marvel’s Spider-Man come together.
- QVC. Even the popular channel more known for shopping addiction than gaming has a bundle. Their offer does not include two controllers either, but the charging dock has room for two when you inevitably spring for another one. Their pack also comes with a controller case, a three-month subscription to PlayStation Plus, and two vouchers for amounts decided upon purchase.
What makes the PS5 so exclusive?
Is the ongoing shortage a marketing ploy by Sony to drive up interest in their new, expensive console? To be fair, it feels like that at times. There is a psychology about making something seem exclusive by limiting the people who have the ability to interact with it.
However, there are factors about this gaming system that make it so appealing. For one, it has an incredibly fast load time. Any long-time gamer who has seen the evolution of loading times will be impressed and hard-pressed to want to wait as long as they used to on other systems.
Another bonus is the games are backward compatible with the PS4, meaning no one has to give up their favorite games in the transition.
So, between the bundles, graphics, loading time, and keeping all of your PS4 games, you can see why it’s in such high demand. If the demand is so high, why aren’t they being produced in higher quantities?
You have the pandemic to thank for that. Just like in the auto industry, the smart chip shortage is causing massive gridlock. As plants are working hard to make up for lost time and get these chips made, you should be able to get your hands on a console, and multiple controllers, very soon.
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