Coinciding with the announcement of the first part of the Gran Turismo 7 Spec IV update that’s coming this week, PlayStation has revealed a new piece of Gran Turismo merchandise that will kick off the celebrations for the 30th anniversary year of the series.
Gran Turismo fans will need little reminding that the series launched with the very first title on December 23, 1997, although only in its native Japan. It took a few months to land elsewhere, with the European region release on May 8, 1998, and North American following on May 12.
That means that the series officially enters its 30th year this December, and this new, limited edition DualSense controller — only the second official GT pad controller — answers the question of how PlayStation will be celebrating the longevity of one of its most successful titles and a brand most closely linked with the platform.
Interestingly though, the design isn’t one that directly pays tribute to the genesis of the series but the more recent Gran Turismo 4. Even without the footage in the official launch video, it’s clearly a distillation of the Ford GT that adorns that game’s cover and in its racing Spec II form introduced in that title.
That means a predominantly white finish, over a textured base with a pattern inspired by the weave carbon-fiber. The Ford GT’s black twin stripes feature on the touchpad, while various decals join it on the hand grips.
They include the “Gran Turismo Association” crest found on the doors, and a modified roundel that bears the number 30 — rather than the “4” of the original car — to denote the 30th anniversary.
Opposite that is GT4’s alternative slogan, “The Drive of Your Life” (an earlier Peugeot advertising slogan in the UK), rather than the traditional “The Real Driving Simulator” from across the series. A smaller sticker marks the 100,000,000th game milestone from 2025.
It’s a limited edition model, although PlayStation hasn’t actually revealed how many units it’s limited to. However it will officially head into pre-order status both through PlayStation Direct and chosen retail partners next week, on October 22.
Priced at $/€84.99 (£74.99), it’ll set you back the same sum as other recently announced limited edition Dualsense models, such as the GTAVI Black/White controllers and the Lisa collaboration.
It’ll become officially available on December 10, just in time for the annual shopping extravaganza leading up to Christmas and between — we assume — the Gran Turismo World Series Finals in Tokyo and the Gran Turismo 7 Spec IV Part 2 update.
Let us know what you think of the controller’s design and if you’re planning to order one in the comments!
See more articles on DualSense and GT Merchandise.
