Industry veteran Geoff Keighley published the first ever PlayStation 5 DualSense hands on preview yesterday. The scoop was streamed and subsequently published on the GameAwards YouTube channel. It’s the first time we’ve seen the upcoming and avidly roasted PlayStation 5 controller.
But based on Keighley’s experience, the roasting is now cancelled, as the new piece of technology seems to hit all the right buttons. And yes, pun intended.
PlayStation 5 DualSense hands on preview
Impressive speakers
Keighley was granted the honor of unveiling the first actual gameplay footage captured showcasing the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller. In the video, he talks at length about the new revolutionary features, like the improved in-controller speakers. We’ve seen this in DualShock 4 as well, but according to Keighley the new controller has way more range than before. If he is referring to the range of sounds or physical ‘loudness’ is a bit unclear.
The harmony between the controller sounds and what is happening on the PlayStation 5 [gameplay] is really unique and interesting.
Adaptive triggers
Another major feature showcased during the DualSense preview are the adaptive triggers. With the announcement of the controller, Sony used the example of pulling back a bow string. In the demo played by Keighley, it’s a mechanical frog using a spring to jump.
These adaptive triggers are really really cool, and I’ve never felt something like this before in a console controller. As you push down on the controller [triggers] there is tension now (…) and it’s programmable.
Keighley proceeds to look at the possibilities provided to developers thanks to the DualSense controller. Essentially, features like the adaptive triggers and contextual audio are tools for the developers, who can choose to do something really creative with it. It gives studios another way of fully immersing the player into their game environment.
Interview with Eric Lempel
The DualSense preview ends with an ‘interview’ with PlayStation Vice President and Head of Worldwide Marketing & Consumer Experience, Eric Lempel. It’s clear that Keighley had a lot of privileges with this preview. Getting some first-hand information was one of those bonuses. And while it’s an interesting conversation, there’s nothing juicy in there. Most notably, Keighley tried to tempt Lempel into giving us a specific date for when pre-orders start. But Lempel didn’t bite.
Check out the full PlayStation 5 DualSense hands on preview by Geoff Keighley down below:
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