Has *Forza* not arrived yet, while this PS5 gradient controller has already gone viral?

Once the light hits them, the shells of this batch of PS5 Hyperpop controllers look like neon streets just after the rain. The red-black and green-black gradients slide across the curved surfaces, with loud colors and intense reflections. As someone whose first thought when seeing a new device is “where would this look best in a photo,” I was genuinely tempted at first glance—it’s not trying to be subtle, but the kind of accessory that pulls your eyes toward it the moment it’s sitting on a desk.

On March 18, 2026, IGN unveiled this set of glossy gradient PS5 Hyperpop controllers and threw out a very direct question: “Are these the glossiest PS5 controllers?” It didn’t take long for player discussion to heat up. Some were simply won over by the looks, leaving comments saying they wanted one, or had even already bought one; others specifically called out the neon green version as the one they wanted to pick up, planning to get the vibe ready in advance for a future PS5 version of Forza Motorsport.

From an aesthetic standpoint, this design really does hit the mark for a certain segment of players right now: gradient contrast colors, glossy shells, and a strong trendy feel, like street graffiti and reflections from electronics store windows compressed into a single controller. For people who like styling their gaming desks and keeping their color schemes coordinated, it has obvious appeal. To put it more bluntly, this is a very “photogenic” controller.

But beyond the visuals, the complaints are also pretty focused. The biggest tradeoff with glossy materials is that tactile feel often stands in opposition to appearance: not enough grip, easy to slip during long sessions; and the surface is especially prone to fingerprints, looking like a brand-new display model right out of the box, but after some use it might resemble a glass door covered in smudged handprints. One person summed up the contrast in a single sentence—“It looks super cool, but using it is a nightmare.”

Coming back to gaming itself, a controller is ultimately not just a display piece. No matter how shiny, stylish, or camera-friendly it is, in the end it still comes down to one question: “Is it comfortable to hold?” The community’s reaction is actually pretty split: on one side are collectors struck by the appearance, and on the other are pragmatists who care more about long-session playability. Of course, there are also players who are even more direct and simply feel the design goes too far and does absolutely nothing for them aesthetically.

If you ask me whether I’d buy one, my advice is simple: treat it as an appearance-focused accessory rather than an all-purpose main controller. If you like photographing your desk setup, take it out to play once in a while, and don’t mind wiping off fingerprints often, then it’s worth considering; if you regularly play for long stretches and your hands sweat easily, the glossy material will most likely have you constantly readjusting your grip mid-session. It belongs under the lights, but not necessarily in your palms all the time.

IGN also ran a poll in the end, and the question was very clear: would you accept problems like slipperiness and fingerprint smudges for the sake of looks? In the end, the answer comes down to the same thing as choosing a keyboard, headphones, or a console shell—you’re deciding whether you want function more, or atmosphere more. For players like me, the “do I want to live in this setup” type, it looks great, but not quite great enough to make me ignore the feel in hand.