057DUALSENSE
GHOSTWIRE: TOKYO
The sense of space will be crucial in Tango
Gameworks’ first-person horror brawler-
magical-finger-shooter adventure. Playing
like a hectic blend of The Exorcist and Doom,
Ghostwire: Tokyo will use the DualSense’s adaptive triggers to
enliven the sort of ever-forward combat we love in Doom Eternal.
“We’re [...] looking at ways to take advantage of the adaptive triggers
to express a sense of persistent energy,” explains the director, Kenji
Kimura. The devs are keen to emphasise that haptic feedback doesn’t
just enable you to feel more, but to feel more acutely. “This way we can
offer players very detailed, textured nuances,” says Kimura, allowing for
everything from large-scale vibration to little touches here and there.
Given the game’s built around using hand gestures to magically strike the
ghostly ghouls and demons haunting Tokyo’s photoreal streets, this use
of the controller feels like a match made in heaven (and hell).GRAN TURISMO 7
Another giant from PlayStation’s back catalogue will
be arriving on PS5 and reminding us all just how many
options Sony’s got in the bag when it wants to pull out a
major franchise to launch a new console.
As Gran Turismo 7 pulls out of the garage it’s clear it’s been made
for the DualSense, and for a console generation that puts texture and
perception at the forefront of how we experience games.
Kazunori Yamauchi, Polyphony Digital’s president, shares his favourite
use of the adaptive triggers in Sony’s premier racing sim, revealing
how he’s particularly keen on the way the game simulates anti-lock
braking (ABS). In real-world racing ABS usually releases pressure over
time, giving it a distinct feel when you operate the pedal, which can be
replicated on the trigger. It’s no mere novelty: “It will allow the player to
accurately feel and understand the relationship between the braking
force they want and the tyre’s grip,” says Yamauchi“IT COULD INSPIRE
DEVELOPERS TO
EXPERIMENT AND
INNOVATE.”
ASTRO’S
PLAYROOMWhile Gran Turismo was the
poster child for PS1 and PS2,
embodying what was great about
those console generations, SIE
Japan Studio’s PS VR breakout mascot,
Astro, could steal headlines at PS5’s launch.
Yes, he’s cute, and yes, Astro’s Playroom will
come pre-installed on all PS5s, but it's the
little fella’s adoption of all the DualSense’s
features that will make him a star.
“Astro’s steps can be felt running on
plastic, metal, sand, and even splashing
in water,” says Nicolas Doucet, the studio
director. Astro’s Playroom is very much the
showcase game. The focus is on utilising the
haptic feedback, and representing the feel
of the worlds Astro has to travel through
the controller, whether that’s running overicy environments or struggling to walk
through wind.
“The concept of ‘feeling the world’ is
omnipresent, that’s a significant step
forward in immersion,” says Doucet. “I tried
turning haptic feedback off once, and could
not believe how much I missed it. It is a game
changer for sure!”
While there’s always a jump in graphical
fidelity with a new console generation, with
PS5 Sony is attempting to revitalise the way
we connect to games on a tactile level. The
DualSense is one tool in PS5’s box of tricks,
and it looks like it could inspire developers to
experiment and innovate.
Of course we’ve been here before. The
Sixaxis was the revolution for the PS3 era
that was soon dropped by many developers.
But the depth and breadth of ways game
developers are adopting the tech to
enhance their titles suggests the
DualSense could alter how we play for
good. We feel this one’s going to be big.057DUALSENSE
GHOSTWIRE: TOKYO
The sense of space will be crucial in Tango
Gameworks’ first-person horror brawler-
magical-finger-shooter adventure. Playing
like a hectic blend of The Exorcist and Doom,
Ghostwire: Tokyo will use the DualSense’s adaptive triggers to
enliven the sort of ever-forward combat we love in Doom Eternal.
“We’re [...] looking at ways to take advantage of the adaptive triggers
to express a sense of persistent energy,” explains the director, Kenji
Kimura. The devs are keen to emphasise that haptic feedback doesn’t
just enable you to feel more, but to feel more acutely. “This way we can
offer players very detailed, textured nuances,” says Kimura, allowing for
everything from large-scale vibration to little touches here and there.
Given the game’s built around using hand gestures to magically strike the
ghostly ghouls and demons haunting Tokyo’s photoreal streets, this use
of the controller feels like a match made in heaven (and hell).
GRAN TURISMO 7
Another giant from PlayStation’s back catalogue will
be arriving on PS5 and reminding us all just how many
options Sony’s got in the bag when it wants to pull out a
major franchise to launch a new console.
As Gran Turismo 7 pulls out of the garage it’s clear it’s been made
for the DualSense, and for a console generation that puts texture and
perception at the forefront of how we experience games.
Kazunori Yamauchi, Polyphony Digital’s president, shares his favourite
use of the adaptive triggers in Sony’s premier racing sim, revealing
how he’s particularly keen on the way the game simulates anti-lock
braking (ABS). In real-world racing ABS usually releases pressure over
time, giving it a distinct feel when you operate the pedal, which can be
replicated on the trigger. It’s no mere novelty: “It will allow the player to
accurately feel and understand the relationship between the braking
force they want and the tyre’s grip,” says Yamauchi“IT COULD INSPIRE
DEVELOPERS TO
EXPERIMENT AND
INNOVATE.”
ASTRO’S
PLAYROOMWhile Gran Turismo was the
poster child for PS1 and PS2,
embodying what was great about
those console generations, SIE
Japan Studio’s PS VR breakout mascot,
Astro, could steal headlines at PS5’s launch.
Yes, he’s cute, and yes, Astro’s Playroom will
come pre-installed on all PS5s, but it's the
little fella’s adoption of all the DualSense’s
features that will make him a star.
“Astro’s steps can be felt running on
plastic, metal, sand, and even splashing
in water,” says Nicolas Doucet, the studio
director. Astro’s Playroom is very much the
showcase game. The focus is on utilising the
haptic feedback, and representing the feel
of the worlds Astro has to travel through
the controller, whether that’s running overicy environments or struggling to walk
through wind.
“The concept of ‘feeling the world’ is
omnipresent, that’s a significant step
forward in immersion,” says Doucet. “I tried
turning haptic feedback off once, and could
not believe how much I missed it. It is a game
changer for sure!”
While there’s always a jump in graphical
fidelity with a new console generation, with
PS5 Sony is attempting to revitalise the way
we connect to games on a tactile level. The
DualSense is one tool in PS5’s box of tricks,
and it looks like it could inspire developers to
experiment and innovate.
Of course we’ve been here before. The
Sixaxis was the revolution for the PS3 era
that was soon dropped by many developers.
But the depth and breadth of ways game
developers are adopting the tech to
enhance their titles suggests the
DualSense could alter how we play for
good. We feel this one’s going to be big.