How PS5’s DualSense controller fuels the excitement of God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West

One of the PlayStation 5’s greatest assets is undoubtedly the DualSense controller; It offers exclusive and advanced features to enhance and stay faithful to the in-game experience. Making great use of the controller’s potential, the release of God of War Ragnarök is an opportunity to remind us how much DualSense can subvert the feelings gamers experience when immersed in a PlayStation game.

haptic feedback

Vibration motors have long stuck with our gamepads, but lack precision in terms of the haptic feedback provided to the player who needs to simulate physical events in the game. DualSense’s haptic capabilities take the player much further in terms of immersion, in providing dynamic vibrations that will truly simulate interactions with the environment, as well as the recoil of certain weapon types.

God of War Ragnarök is one of those games that makes great use of this feature. Thanks to the tactile feedback, the player really feels that he is striding, for example, on snow. The echoes of the jolts during sled crossings are also conveyed in this admirable way. Remembering the Leviathan ax or using the shield also activates haptic feedback, which in this case provides gameplay information as well as encouraging immersion.

Another title that benefits from careful optimization for DualSense is Horizon Forbidden West. As Aloy moves discreetly across the tall grass, haptic feedback makes it clear to the player that progressing in such an environment is more complex. The swimming stages are equally successful, with an adaptive vibration system depending on the speed at which the character is swimming. Haptic feedback is usually discreet, but always effective and precise in highlighting.

Finally, let’s talk about Gran Turismo 7, which also takes advantage of DualSense to offer a more immersive experience than ever before. The vibrations of the engine, the feeling of driving on a bituminous surface and the jerks of the dirt road are thus perfectly replicated by the haptic feedback of the joystick.

Adaptive triggers

A great innovation brought by the new generation PlayStation controller is at the level of adaptive triggers. This means that games can support many levels of power and strain when interacting with your hardware and environments in compatible games. Bowing in The Last of Us Part II or Horizon Forbidden West has never been more satisfying with DualSense in hand, especially since there are several bow models in the Guerrilla Games title, each with a truly different feel thanks to adaptive triggers.

Generally speaking, in Gran Turismo 7 of War Ragnarök they allow the player to feel a physical connection with the actions they take on the screen, such as hitting the brakes of a race car at full throttle, adaptive triggers significantly enrich the combat experience, allowing you to measure hits and strike the right balance between power and speed. lets you find it.

3D sound

PS5 also promises support for 3D audio technology, which offers an immersive 360° audio experience with the appropriate audio hardware. The PULSE 3D wireless headphones are specially designed to take full advantage of the console’s audio capabilities, and in particular Sony’s Tempest 3D AudioTech technology. Practical, it can be plugged directly into the DualSense controller via the 3.5mm jack.

With 3D sound, sounds seem to come at you from all directions. In God of War Ragnarök, you can tell the position of enemies by the sounds they make (footsteps, charge, gun). Horizon Forbidden West players can also use audio cues left by the machines to figure out where they are, whether in combat or for more stealthy stealth scenes. The spatialization of sound in Gran Turismo 7 contributes to feeling like a real pilot living in the cockpit of a racing car. Sound effects are reproduced realistically and in real time, taking into account the characteristics of each vehicle, engine and environment.

The player can customize the headset’s EQ settings from the PS5 menu to create the mood that appeals most to him. Three presets are available and three additional slots are provided for recording custom sound profiles.

Peripherals for every taste

PlayStation offers to customize its accessories by changing colors. The original DualSense controller with a two-tone design comes in variations from white to black and more colorful options like purple, pink, blue or red. But we also have the right to special prints such as camouflage color. For license fans, note that there are also controllers marketed for a specific game launch. This is the case for a limited edition God of War Ragnarök controller, for example. It features a two-tone design, intense blue and seamless white, inspired by the Norse universe of Midgard and embellished with the bear and wolf emblem representing the characters Kratos and Atreus.

Let’s not forget the high-end DualSense Edge controller with configurable keys, adjustable joysticks and triggers, replaceable joystick covers, replaceable back keys to bring even the most demanding gamers more performance and customization. All this, of course, with all the features of DualSense.

The PULSE 3D wireless headset is available in a variety of colors (white, black, camouflage) and the fronts for the PS5 console allow you to give your console a distinctive touch and match it with the color of your DualSense controller.

This article is a sponsored post by Sony.