What makes a console so appealing that fans get increasingly curious about its intricate parts? It’s secrecy. That’s what Sony capitalized on when they revealed the PlayStation 5 in their event.
We all know how Sony was cagey even about showing the console’s design or the details until last month. While the release date and actual price for the PlayStation 5 have not been hinted at by Sony, some intricate details happen to be propping up from the weirdest places.
Yesterday, Geoff Keighley hosted a Livestream on thegameawards’ Twitch channel to unveil first-hand the new controller and share his thoughts on the new DualSense ancillary.
Specifications
According to Keighley, the DualSense is a larger shift from the previous generation’s DualShock 4 than what Microsoft set up in the Xbox Series X controller. Some of the recent changes as Keigley explained are as follows:
He noted how the Share button was being transformed to the Create button and the lightbar being moved to either side of the in-built touchpad. As for the charging port, the DualSense charging will feature a standard USB-C form, and the headphone jack features a 3.5mm.
Keighley also went on to explain the integrated and microphone design grafted in the controller. In all of the awesome features of the DualSense controller, the most unique of them is the haptic feedback, which works with the use of voice coil actuators and not the typical standard rumble motors.
With the brief analysis conducted by Geoff Keighley, what was his final say on the DualSense controller?
You can watch the full replay of Geoff Keighley’s hands-on expose with the DualSense controller below:
From his explanation in the video, we found some select quotes from his brief hands-on expose with the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller:
As you push down on the controller, there’s tension in the Adaptive triggers, and it’s programmable. Imagine pulling this down and feeling the pressure of a bow and arrow. Or in an action game, pulling this [trigger] down and feeling active reload points. Designers can create tension points as you pull [the trigger] down at certain percentages and give the player feedback. That’s a unique sensation that’s going to have a big impact in the longer term on gameplay.
PlayStation had rumble for quite some time, but the haptics adds another layer to the experience. It isn’t just one rumble point, so it’s not just on or off. There’s the ability to create other sensations.
The other thing that I’ve noticed is that the speaker in the DualSense feels like it has much more range as the PlayStation 4 speaker, and it often ties directly into what’s happening with the haptics. At least in Astro’s Playroom, there’s much more variety in the types of sounds. I’m sure every game will use it differently or not so much. At least in this demo, you’d sense that a lot is going on with the haptics and the sound that ties into it. Combining the Tempest 3D engine in PlayStation 5 with the speakers and getting a harmony between the controller sound and what’s happening in the PlayStation 5 is really unique and interesting.
Compared to the DualShock for PlayStation 4, it weighs slightly more but doesn’t feel substantially heavier. If anything, it has a little bit more heft to it in a good way. It feels more structured and centered. It feels good to me.
Both the PlayStation 5 and DualSense controller is set to launch later this year, during the holiday period, with its price. However, Sony hasn’t released an official release date.
While there’s enough buzz about when pre-orders might open up, Sony has no plans of such; they only plan to release a set date soon. On that note, be on the lookout when we cover the official release date and hopefully, a pre-order window.
