Rasmus Poulsen, art director for IO Interactive's 007: First Light, has clarified that the limited edition DualSense PS5 controller's straight-line design is intentional. The design draws from the game's UI and 'light' themes rather than a traditional gun barrel rifling. Poulsen shared these insights in recent interviews alongside hands-on previews of the game.
A couple of weeks ago, IO Interactive revealed a limited edition DualSense controller for 007: First Light, featuring a gold paint job and straight lines extending from a central 007 motif. Online reactions criticized the design for not curving like the spiral rifling in James Bond's iconic opening sequence, with Reddit users like SickSlashHappy exclaiming, 'Stop getting Bond wrong!' and LordMegamad joking about it resembling a gun barrel interior without the expected spiral. Poulsen addressed the backlash directly. 'The thing about the straight lines is everybody can do just a gun barrel, right?' he said. 'It isn't actually anywhere,' he added, noting rifling is not visible in real life or Bond films beyond the intro. Instead, the design references the game's UI, a 'Sun' flavour tied to the title, and light rays, which travel in straight lines. These comments emerged from interviews during hands-on sessions with 007: First Light, where Poulsen also discussed other aspects. He described collaboration with Amazon MGM, James Bond's license owners since their early 2025 purchase, as 'surprisingly straightforward' and 'the easy part.' The studio opted against generative AI in development, aligning with the game's themes of caution toward utopia. Previews highlight the game's linear third-person stealth-action gameplay, focusing on a young Bond's origin as a rookie agent.
