The PS5’s DualSense controller has been praised by many for its innovative and immersive features such as the haptic feedback function and adaptive triggers. According to a recent interview with the controller’s designer, the DualSense’s haptic feedback feature was inspired by the use of haptics in the mobile market. Additionally, many PlayStation Studio teams praised its features during the controller’s early testing phase.
In an interview with IGN, Sony Product Director Toshi Aoki stated that the company had always planned for the new controller to feature haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. The company had decided to test and experiment with haptics after seeing them “used in mobile technology.”
According to Aoki, the first prototype included a demo featuring a metal and plastic ball rolling in a box and utilized what would become the controller’s haptics and motion sensors. After sharing the demo with other PlayStation Studio teams, Aoki states that “everyone who experienced it said they wanted it in the next controller.”
On the topic of adaptive triggers, Aoki notes that the L2 and R2 trigger buttons were “the most used buttons” on previous controllers. Because of this, the team “wanted to find ways to leverage the buttons to add to the sense of touch,” and initially tested the feature using a motion controller in VR. Yet again, the feature was a hit with the product team, and Aoki states that it had “felt amazing … see[ing] yourself pulling the triggers in a gun simultaneously with what you were doing with your hands.”
Many seem to agree, with Resident Evil Village’s director stating that the feature helped bring even greater immersion to the critically-acclaimed horror title. Meanwhile, future titles such as Horizon Forbidden West also plan to take advantage of the DualSense’s capabilities, with Guerrilla studio director Angie Smets stating that the controller will let players literally feel the long grass leaves that they dive into.
[Source: IGN]
