Sony took the wraps off of the radical new DualSense controller for the PS5 this week, though most of us will have to wait until this fall to experience how it actually feels. However, if a firsthand account from Bethesda's marketing lead is anything to go by, the DualSense will be a massive upgrade over the PS4 controller.
Shortly after the official announcement of the DualSense, Bethesdia senior vice president of marketing and communications Pete Hines tweeted some big praise for Sony's new gamepad.
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I've gotten to try the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on this thing and was very impressed. I think games are gonna do some really cool things with them. https://t.co/zZQJrTHfl6April 8, 2020
Hines specifically called out the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, the former of which is designed to provide more immersive rumble that simulate the feel of moving through different surfaces like mud and sand. And thanks to the adaptive triggers, developers will be able to tweak the resistance of the shoulder buttons to replicate the sensation of, say, firing a bow and arrow or shooting a gun.
When asked how the DualSense compares to the PS4's DualShock 4, Hines said it's a no-contest.
"You sort of immediately forget about a PS4 controller," wrote Hines, who leads the marketing for top titles like Fallout, Doom and The Elder Scrolls. "I went back and forth between them and you immediately just want to use the PS5."
This public praise bodes well for the PS5 DualSense controller, which has garnered mixed reactions from around the web this week. Some think it's ugly; some think it's refreshing; others just want to wait and see how it feels for themselves. The internet is already flooded with alternative color concept designs and DualSense memes, so no matter how you feel about the controller, Sony has successfully gotten people talking.
This is the best fan variant of the PS5 DualSense I've seen so far. #RETRO pic.twitter.com/7Nm5YEOa5QApril 8, 2020
Aside from its aforementioned haptics and adaptive triggers, the DualSense will sport a built-in microphone for chatting with friends, a revamped touchbar with more prominent lighting effects and a new "Create" button that replaces the Share button for creating and uploading game clips.
The upcoming Xbox Series X controller is a much tamer upgrade by comparison, adding a few textured grips, an improved d-pad and a new Share button to an otherwise familiar design from the Xbox One era.
We should know more about DualSense — and the PS5 itself — as the PlayStation 5's Holiday 2020 launch draws closer.
