Sony’s DualSense PS5 controller could be a game changer – TechCrunch

After spending a few hours with the PlayStation 5 and its completely redesigned DualSense controller, I can confidently say that the new haptic and audio features will definitely work – and could become an integral part of the gaming experience. But only if – and it’s a big if – developers really embrace the technology.

The DualSense controller replaces the well-known and popular design of the DualShock, which has remained largely unchanged since it was first shipped for the original PlayStation 25 years ago.

While the general layout is the same, the feel of the new controller is vastly different and the appearance is in tune with the distinctive but questionable hyperfuturistic look of the PS5. I’m not entirely thrilled with the new shape, but I’ve also had a long time getting used to the old one. So I’m withhold judgment while I work on the full review.

I can tell you now, however, that there are indeed tiny PlayStation icons:

I’m worried these will be fat magnets.

Every PS5 comes with Astro’s Playroom, which, like Nintendoland and Wii Sports, is intended to provide a reference experience for all new functions of the controller. It might not be quite as original or enduringly fun as Nintendo’s pack-ins (which are still some of the best games for their platforms), but it’s a fun little playroom that does a good job demonstrating DualSense.

The first and perhaps immediately most convincing feature is the haptic feedback on the L2 and R2 trigger buttons. It is one of those things that when you feel like it is working, you think about how it could be used right away.

Credit: Sony

This allows not only precise vibration but also actual resistance to be added to the triggers. In theory, this sounds vague, but in practice it is very easy to grasp, so to speak.

For example, setting up Astro’s Playroom introduces the feature by simply asking you to pull the trigger and feel it. You will surely have pulled them before so you know that they are usually close to frictionless. But suddenly they push back against your finger – then a click and the resistance is gone.

“What kind of magic is that?” I remember saying aloud back then or something, but more mundane. It’s really that compelling right away.

Credit: Sony

Later, on the first stage I tried the game, your little robot will jump into some sort of feather suit (a metal spring, not a two-piece linen spring) and you have to pull the trigger to make it jump. The haptics in this case really feel like something is compressing (although I know it doesn’t feel like that after playing with feathers before) and most importantly, gives you a non-visual, intuitive indicator of how far you are depressed are the trigger. My brain was able to determine more quickly how far I had come with the combination of sound, feel and graphics than with graphics alone. And because the feel is limited to the trigger you’re using, there’s no mistaking it for the larger vibrations of the all-purpose rumble system.

The Switch’s Joy-Cons have some sort of precision feel to them, and while the demo of this feature was interesting – little objects rattle around in the controller – it’s actually pretty hard to figure out how they could be used in gameplay. And in fact, few games have done it, though it’s probably better to rumble fairly in general.

In the case of DualSense, I immediately thought, “That would be great for …” and wish I had had it in this or that game in the past. It opens up possibilities I’ve never liked: “Pull the trigger halfway to do one thing all the way to the other. It might be great accessibility too.

A speaker and microphone in the controller are nothing new, although they seem to have been updated for DualSense. Few games have been able to properly use these features, and Astro’s Playroom falls back on the old thing where the controller hits the propeller. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do that in a real game – but why can’t I yell, “Come on, Cyberdog! Attack the monster on the right ”to guide my (unfortunately fictional) companion, or something like that?

Unfortunately, that gets to the heart of what makes even the excellent haptic function a potentially lost cause. Developers have to design for them on a massive scale, and that’s difficult when you can’t guarantee that people will or can do it. Not only that, but if you want to publish to Xbox and PC too, you’ll need to remove them. So they become optional features … and since they are optional, they can’t be integrated as deeply into the game at first, which makes them less convincing overall. It has happened time and again with various innovations that gaming companies have come up with over the years, and it can happen with this generation’s gimmicks as well.

Sony’s best bet is to make the integration painless and highly incentivized, though it’s hard to imagine how multi-platform developers like Ubisoft can go far beyond the bare minimum. Serious use will likely be limited to a handful of premium Sony-funded exclusive PS5 products that gamers will marvel at.

It’s an interesting new gameplay feature, but hardly one that screams “next-generation”. In fact, little screams about the next consoles from Sony or Microsoft that other than the specs. That doesn’t mean they’re not worth buying – but don’t expect anything transformative.