Saros reminded me how great the DualSense can be

The DualSense controller was one of Sony’s biggest selling points for the PS5. Beyond things like a striking new design and adaptive triggers, the controller’s haptic feedback offered some really interesting new experiences for gaming. Rumble effects had been around for decades at that point, but the DualSense offered something very different: I’m still blown away by the sand crunching under Astro’s feet on Team Asobi. Astro’s playroom or the futuristic impulses of weapons in Housemarque Back.

But since the release of the PS5, few titles have captured that same magic and showcased what made the controller so distinct. This week, Housemarque launched its next title, Sarosand it’s arguably the first game in a while to make the DualSense feel important.

In most games, the rumble and haptics seem like an added bonus. They can help highlight an explosion or gunshots here and there, but if I turn off the rumble in a game, I usually don’t miss it. But with Sarosthe haptics of the DualSense are an essential element of the game.

Here are some examples of how haptics work. When I shoot enemies with a rifle, the haptic tone lights up to alert me that I’m low on ammo. With a powerful hand cannon that fires three bullets at once, the DualSense emits three short bursts with each shot. When a charged crossbow shot is ready, the haptics create a fine point in my hands that lets me know I can shoot. When my shield is about to fade because I held it on too long, the controller rumbles in a way that matches the way the shield ripples on screen.

Outside of combat, the DualSense’s haptics also make exploring the world more immersive. You will feel short pulses as the protagonist Arjun travels through the world of Carcosa. When using the grapple beam to cross chasms, the DualSense will vibrate as you get closer to the grapple point. The Controller growls ominously as Arjun approaches the grotesque group of hands that triggers a world-changing eclipse.

Even some of Arjun’s interactions with other characters use the controller. In an endgame area, as the buzzing of a character filled my ears, I was surprised to feel my DualSense’s haptics buzzing along with them. And I loved having conversations with Primary, the company robot from Arjun’s base, because of the way the DualSense growled in sync with the machine’s ominous voice. These moments add significant new dimensions to the game.

Haptics aren’t just cool; they actually enhance the experience in specific ways. In the heat of a frenetic firefight where I’m trying to dodge waves of bullets and hordes of enemies, it’s often easier to rely on the DualSense’s tactile haptic indicators rather than trying to analyze something on a busy screen.

More than five years into the PS5’s life, only a handful of studios have really figured out what to do with the DualSense. What was once one of the console’s biggest selling points has become largely forgotten. Saros shows that there’s still a lot of untapped potential in the DualSense’s various features – hopefully this will spark renewed interest in the controller.