IO Interactive and Sony released a PS5 DualSense controller themed around 007 First Light that disappointed fans expecting the iconic James Bond gun barrel logo. The design doesn't match the franchise's most recognizable imagery, and that choice was entirely intentional.
Art director Rasmus Poulsen explained to Eurogamer that the team deliberately avoided replicating the barrel sequence. Instead, they drew inspiration from how the game's UI functions and feels. The controller references the product itself rather than simply stamping the Bond franchise onto hardware.
This decision highlights a tension between licensing expectations and creative vision. Players wanting a controller that screams "James Bond" got something more abstract and game-specific. Whether that philosophy justifies releasing a Bond-themed peripheral that doesn't immediately evoke Bond's most iconic visual remains debatable. The safe play would have been the barrel design. IO chose differently, for better or worse.