Developers working on a handful of PS5 games have revealed some of the ways they're implementing DualSense controller features to increase immersion.
The PS5's DualSense controller uses haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to mimic different sensations – popular early examples were pulling back the string of a bow and trudging through mud. We've already seen a number of PS5 games utilize the DualSense to varying degrees, and we've now heard from the makers of six games on how they're using the new tech.
Insomniac Games says you'll feel the effects of the DualSense all over the place in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, whether that's in the raw power of a big explosion, the subtle pulse of a Lombax's footstep, or even the feel of bolts being looted from an enemy.
"Although firing weapons and striking different surfaces with your wrench were no-brainers for haptics, we found that we could also use many more subtle cues that make the haptic canvas feel full," Insomniac says.
In Subnautica: Below Zero, the DualSense's advanced rumble features serve a more practical purpose. Your metal detector will guide you to your target with varying levels and speeds of vibration in the controller, and the RGB strip in the center will blink at different rates to indicate how close you are.
Ghostwire: Tokyo's DualSense features sound downright unnerving. Tango Gameworks explains that you'll hear "otherworldly voices" coming from the controller's speakers, giving you a sixth sense to solve mysteries. Likewise, elemental powers – water, fire, wind – will each have their own distinct feedback.
Life is Strange: True Colors, naturally, changes the color of your controller's RGB strip to reflect your character's mood – red for anger, purple for fear, blue for sadness, and so on. You'll also feel the tension increase in the triggers as your character's supernatural power grows in intensity.
Bandai Namco took a unique approach to using rumble in Scarlet Nexus by having vibrations move from one side of the controller to the other to track moving in-game objects. Finally, Ember Lab's darling indie game Kena: Bridge of Spirits uses adaptive triggers to make you feel the resistance as you pull back your wooden bow, similar to what we've seen in games like Astro's Playroom and Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
These are all the upcoming PS5 games we can't wait to experience with the DualSense.
