007 First Light art director says the limited edition Dualsense controller was inspired by a 'light' theme, not the inside of a gun barrel — 'What we were trying to do with that was reference more how the UI of the game feels'

The design is inspired by the sun

News By Demi Williams published 1 May 2026

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• 007 First Light art director Rasmus Poulsen has responded to the limited-edition Dualsense criticism
• He says the design is inspired by the game's UI and "light" theme
• Poulsen adds, "I think it's actually very telling that it's not a straight-up gun barrel"

IO Interactive has addressed criticism of the design of the 007 First Light limited-edition DualSense wireless controller, confirming it's not what some fans think.

Last month, Sony unveiled the gorgeous new DualSense, which will launch alongside the game on May 27 for $84.99 / £74.99 / €84.99. The gold and black design features a '007' logo on the touchpad and is surrounded by straight lines fanning out across the controller.

It was thought that the design was inspired by the iconic opening of James Bond movies, which typically show 007 walking across the screen from the perspective of inside a gun barrel, before whipping out his pistol.

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However, after the announcement, some fans criticised the design, reasoning that if it were the case, the lines should actually be curved and spiralled, not straight.

"I was immediately bothered that the design, which is clearly trying to emulate the iconic opening, didn’t have 'rifling' (the swirly bit in the barrel that stabilizes the bullet)," one user said on Reddit.

Another responded, saying, "The idea of a 007 themed controller, with a design inspired by the inside of a barrel, NOT referencing the 007 intro stretches my credulity a bit too far lol."

Now, in an interview with Eurogamer, 007 First Light art director Rasmus Poulsen has set the record straight and confirmed the design is not intended to simply mimic a gun barrel.

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