PS5 DualSense Controller - Hands-on Comments!

Thanks to a recent stream hosted by the Summer Game Fest and none other than Geoff Keighley, the host behind the yearly Game Awards, the community managed to enjoy a closer look at the new PS5 controller and its implementation into its respective hardware. Below we've gathered a few of the essential features and observations understood from the stream. 

Through an exclusive copy of the PS5 which was unfortunately not shown, the journalist showcased the controller by playing through the launch title of 'Astro's Playroom'. Not receiving much attention on the PS4, the game seems to have been revamped to be a complete experience instead of acting as a tech demo only. 

It's through the gameplay that certain aspects of the controller where highlighted. 

Firstly, the newly calibrated adaptive triggers received a tonne of praise. Supposedly, the ability to feel a scale of tension points and an omnipresent sense of pressure allows for a heightened experience and reliability when requiring a precise amount of force. 

Speaking of force, Mr. Keighley then went on to describe the haptic feedback found within the new DualSense controller. Building upon DualShock's simplistic rumble feature, the new bit of hardware seems to be able to change the feedback depending on the terrain such as sand or concrete which is definitely interesting. With the Nintendo JoyCon's leading the industry with HD rumble, this might just take the cake. 

Then there is the central speaker just beneath the touchpad which seems to offer a wider sound stage, higher amplitude and better integration with the system in general. Perhaps developers will make better use of it this generation. 

With all these newly developed features, the technology needs to be packed somewhere. Resultantly, the controller is slightly larger than the DualShock though not too much and packs a solid sense of heft and a solid-feeling to it. 

Overall, most of the features touched on during the stream were important. The only thing I felt they missed out on was the quality of the integrated microphone which I find will be game-changing. As a PS4 FPS player, a mic available to everyone can really give some life to the otherwise empty lobbies.