As thePlayStation 5nears its four-year anniversary, players will remember the many exciting features that set it apart from its predecessors, such as an ultra-fast SSD, 3D audio, and a new controller, the DualSense. With its adaptive trigger technology and haptic feedback capabilities, it seemed at the time that PlayStation exclusive games were not only likely to incorporate this technology into their design, but would inevitably use it to revolutionize how PS5 games could be played. However, based on the few games that actually use the technology in meaningful ways,it appears the DualSense features have become an afterthought.
Looking at the PS5 exclusives currently available in the PlayStation catalog, there are only a handful of games that even come close to utilizing the DualSense’s capabilities. This comes as a bit of a mystery given the amount of hype that went into the promotional materials for the PlayStation 5 and DualSense controller technologies. One only needs to look at the small sample of games that effectively incorporate the DualSense abilities to understand the potential for creative innovation.
PS5 Games Should Utilize DualSense Technology More
PlayStation’s DualSense Could Change The Way Players Use Controllers
The key features of the DualSense controller are its adaptive trigger technology and haptic feedback. Adaptive triggers add varying levels of force and tension when players shoot, drive, jump, etc. To date,three games in the PlayStation catalog seem to have had the DualSense functionality in mind as they were being built:roguelike third-person shooterReturnal, thePS5 essentialRatchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and, of course,Astro’s Playroom, which was literally a demo for the adaptive trigger technology. These games offer a unique experience with the DualSense that is more immersive, at times more challenging, and overall a more exciting experience for PS5 players.
PS5 Exclusive Game Returnal Takes DualSense Controller To the Next Level
The DualSense haptics in PS5 exclusive game Returnal are showcased in reviewer’s video and it seems to be taking the experience to t he next level.
Two great examples of how adaptive triggers can revolutionize the controller experience areReturnal,where the trigger position determines how the weapon fires, andRatchet and Clank: Rift Apart, which reimagines the way triggers can feel in a shooter-platformer. When paired with the immersive haptic feedback response,the experience of playing these gameson the DualSense is unparalleled. It truly feels like they were built with DualSense controller functionality as a key component. When done correctly, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers can take an otherwise ordinary gaming experience and pull players into the game in very tactile, meaningful ways.
How DualSense Features Could Improve PS5 Games
What Does The Future Of PS5 Games And DualSense Technology Look Like?
While it’s great that these DualSense features exist and are fun from a player’s perspective,games need to effectively incorporate the features for the technology to be truly appreciated. The baseline for future PlayStation exclusives should be that adaptive trigger and haptic feedback technology is available and prevalent in the standard experience of the game, and those features can be turned off if players prefer. Developers should consider how their PS5 games could be made more immersive from an end-user perspective and assess the trigger function in their game for how it can be improved with the adaptive trigger technology.
PS5 Controller: What Haptic Feedback Actually Does
Sony’s PlayStation 5 DualSense controller features haptic feedback technology. Here’s how the PS5 tech works - and how it differs from normal rumble.
Fully utilizing DualSense technology goes beyond retrofitting completed games or simply vibrating a controller when there’s a big explosion. Moving forward, implementation of adaptive triggers and haptic feedback should be part of the core experience, setting a new precedent for PlayStation exclusives. It’s unclear how much the DualSense technology will be featured in upcoming major releases, such asSucker Punch’sGhost of Yōteior Insomniac’sMarvel’s Wolverine, or if the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback technologies will be an afterthought. With so much untapped potential, the DualSense controller is still ripe for creative integration into futurePlayStation 5exclusives.
