I've had the honor of playing Astro's Playroom (and a few other titles) on the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller, and I knew it was love at first sight and touch. PlayStation's initial overblown marketing of the DualSense made little sense as I originally assumed it to be yet another evolution of the DualShock 4 with added gimmicks in its adaptive triggers and haptic feedback - mere buzzwords for me that didn't actually give me a good sense of what it was. After seeing Geoff Keighley have fun blowing into the controller to spin a fan in Astro's Playroom, I knew this was something that could only be felt to be believed. And believe me now, it's a game-changer.



I booted up Astro's Playroom for the first time and almost immediately felt just how drastically different an experience this was going to be by simply holding the controller. Suddenly, the veil of gimmicky adaptive triggers and haptic feedback fell away, and now I can't praise these features enough. The added immersion they provide to games on the PS5 is absolutely mindblowing, and in the few moments of stumbling around breaking crates and pulling wires to unlock new gear, I was hooked on the notion that I was experiencing something that felt truly next-gen.

Basically, any and all interactions with the world and characters are felt in the tiniest vibrations and rumbles in the DualSense.

How these features work on the DualSense controller is something that simply needs to be felt, because I find it difficult to put into words just why it's so fantastic. Basically, any and all interactions with the world and characters are felt in the tiniest vibrations and rumbles in the DualSense. Astro's footsteps are even captured in the small tip-taps of the DualSense's haptic feedback, where you feel each and every movement of the character as they waddle around and engage in the levels around them. The adaptive triggers also play a huge part in how the controller locks the player into that immersion. The most astounding detail is how it feels when the triggers force resistance depending on the item. For example, Astro's springy suit feels like you're winding up a spring to unleash it, while pulling down on the bow creates a realistic resistance akin to actually feeling the strain of the weapon in real life.



The triggers will feel heavier, fight back, and create a terrific amount of resistance to simulate the feeling of each action. I can't begin to imagine how this will significantly boost the immersion of a game like Horizon Forbidden West, where the bow is Aloy's bread and butter; or otherwise, feel the weight of Kratos' axe as he summons it back into his grasp with a thunderous grip. This also spells something wonderful for first-person shooters, which will simulate the clatter and recoil of guns. If anything, I hope Sony realizes the potential of a new Killzone or Resistance game taking full advantage of the DualSense's features.

I can't begin to imagine how this will significantly boost the immersion of a game like Horizon Forbidden West...

However, as marvelous as the adaptive triggers feel, the haptic feedback adds another layer of innovation to the DualSense. What started as the rumble feature on the DualShock 2 - and carried over to each new iteration of PlayStation's controller - has now been fully realized in an almost 4D experience. The authentic rumble of the controller in direct reaction to the game ensures players feel almost every tiny vibration and minute detail - and I do mean literally everything. From Astro's collision with enemies to Miles Morales bouncing off buildings and hitting objects, your hands process this information through the smallest of vibrations, thus creating a far more immersive experience than any other controller I've played on before.



As far as aesthetics go, the DualSense is a bulky controller with a little more weight than the DualShock 4. It rests comfortably in your hands, echoing some of the more curvy grips of the Xbox controller. However, this was the right decision for the PS5. I always felt the DualShock 4 - while a great controller - to be a bit clumsy in its overall shape. After numerous hours of play, the aches can settle into your palms. However, thanks to the slightly widened grips of the DualSense, it sits at a more comfortable angle that might alleviate much of that pain.

Of course, we have to talk about the sustainability of these features. After all, DualShock 4 boasted its own set of features - like the motion controls and lightbar - only ever taken full advantage of in few games, like Until Dawn. So far, it seems like third-party support for the DualSense has been a little more welcoming, but it remains to be seen if the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback will be implemented fully for many third-party games, or it it will remain under Sony's first-party titles only. Regardless, these are great additions to the controller that have the potential to be a refreshing change for how we engage and interact with video games to come.



While I work on the full review for the PlayStation 5, I just had to get out how marvelous the DualSense controller is in its own article. Having experienced the features on Astro's Playroom, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Demon's Souls, I can confidently say that - given the attention and time to really flesh out the new adaptive triggers and haptic feedback - the DualSense could potentially be something special. It's undoubtedly one of the driving forces behind the PS5's next-gen immersion and success, and topping it off with the fast SSD and other great features, makes Sony's new console feel like the ideal home for now to experience the new generation of consoles early.