Why now: Gran Turismo turns 30

The first Gran Turismo launched in Japan on 23 December 1997, so the series enters its 30th year this December. This controller is the first piece of the celebrations, and it lands in the same month as the second half of Spec IV. Kazunori Yamauchi describes it as a thank-you to the players who have been part of the journey, which is about as sentimental as Polyphony gets in a press release.

The design

Sony describes it as inspired by the craftsmanship and engineering behind Gran Turismo. It has racing stripes and motorsport graphics, paired with a textured, carbon-fibre-style front plate that brings a bit of car design to the controller.

It's a celebration of 30 years of The Real Driving Simulator, and it looks the part: more race car livery than generic special edition.

Price, pre-orders and where to buy

The recommended price is €84.99 in Europe, $84.99 in the US, £74.99 in the UK and ¥12,480 in Japan. Pre-orders open on 22 October at 10:00 local time, both from PlayStation Direct and from participating retailers, and the controller launches globally on 10 December.

PlayStation Direct pre-orders cover the US (10:00 ET), the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Everywhere else, it's retailers only. Sony says it's available in limited quantities while supplies last, but hasn't said how many will be made. With no number announced, we'd set a reminder for the morning of 22 October.

Is it worth it for racing?

On the inside it's a standard DualSense, so it won't make you any faster. But a pad isn't the handicap many people think it is. When we put a DualSense against a €3,000 sim rig, the hardest part on the controller was the precision on the throttle and brake, not the steering. And Calster qualified for a Gran Turismo World Series live event on a controller. A World Series qualifier did it on the same pad most players got in the box.

If you race on a pad, this is a nice way to mark 30 years of the series. If you're on a wheel, it's a collector's piece, and probably one for the shelf next to your old GT4 disc.

Final Thoughts

Sony could have just printed a logo on a white controller. Instead they turned GT4's Ford GT into a controller, and that's the kind of detail long-time fans will notice and appreciate. The price is in line with Sony's other special editions, and the real question is how many will be made. Pre-orders open on 22 October. In the meantime, Spec IV Part 1 is live, with SUGO and six new cars to get to grips with, on a pad or otherwise.

We'll also keep an eye on the rest of the GT hardware heading into the anniversary year, from Thrustmaster's T-GT III to Moza's first PlayStation wheels.

Gran Turismo 30th Anniversary DualSense