A photo of a curious looking PlayStation controller surfaced on Destructoid today, and has since been confirmed by sources close to several reputable publications to be an early prototype of Sony's new Dualshock control pad that will accompany the next PlayStation console, codenamed PlayStation Orbis.

The image appears to show a much bulkier design than previous Dualshock revisions, and features the heavily rumoured touchpad area, what appears to be an in-built speaker or microphone, and a blue-lit panel on top that resembles the PlayStation Move controller's colour-coordinated aesthetic.

We probably won't have to wait too much longer to get a more finalised idea of the new console and controller form-factors, as Sony are widely expected to be revealing the device officially at a New York "PlayStation Meeting" event on February 20th.