Tech
I thought the PS5 DualSense controller was a gimmick — until I played this game – Tom's Guide
It’s no secret that I don’t love the PS5 DualSense controller. Compared to the beautifully simple Xbox Series X controller, the DualSense has a lot of wasted space, some questionable button placements and a few odd connectivity restrictions. The biggest dealbreaker for me, though, was that I found the innovative haptics more distracting than immersive. Or I did, at least, until I reached the last level of Demon’s Souls.
For those who haven’t played it yet, Demon’s Souls is easily the best game on the PS5, and possibly the best game I’ve played all year. (Granted, it was also one of the best games of the year when it first came out in 2009, but I digress.) Like the PS5’s other exclusive launch titles, Demon’s Souls makes extensive use of the DualSense’s subtle haptic feedback.
But unlike in Spider-Man: Miles Morales, I didn’t find it grating here. While it took a while to grow on me, the DualSense wound up facilitating one of my very favorite parts of the Demon’s Souls Remake.
PS5 DualSense: How it’s different
In case you haven’t tried out the DualSense controller yet (I’m aware that the PS5 is not very easy to find right now), it’s quite different from the DualShock 4. The long grips make it resemble an Xbox controller, while the lightbar is now on the front of the controller, letting you see it during gameplay. The biggest difference, however, is that the DualSense has extremely sensitive haptic feedback.
Rather than just varying degrees of vibration, the DualSense lets you “feel” subtle effects, from different weights on each side of the controller, to resistant triggers when you fire a gun. It’s very difficult to describe until you get your hands on one, but the DualSense can mimic subtle sensations of movement and action; other controllers can mimic only varying degrees of impact.
While the DualSense has generally gotten a lot of praise (including in our own PS5 review), I’ve been a little more reticent about it than most. My gut feeling is that anything that puts distance between you and the action onscreen is more of a gimmick than a gameplay feature. This includes motion controls, touch controls and, yes, even vibrations themselves — although vibrating controllers have been around since the N64 days, so I’ve grown to grudgingly accept them.
In Miles Morales, I didn’t understand why my trigger locked halfway down every time I wanted to fire a web, or why I had to blow into my controller in Astro’s Playroom. The Nintendo DS tried a number of similar things back when it first launched, but generally speaking, the best DS games were the more traditional fare — not the ones that leaned on the console’s odd control scheme.
Granted, if you don’t like the DualSense haptics, you can always just turn them off, but I kept them on, just in case I found a truly justified use-case for them. Demon’s Souls didn’t disappoint.
The Blue Dragon
The next section has minor spoilers for a late-game level in Demon’s Souls, so read on at your own risk.
For most of the game, I found the haptics in Demon’s Souls just as distracting as in Miles Morales. If you play without headphones, you hear a ton of sound effects through your controller, from whooshing arrows to crackling magic spells. Additionally, the controller vibrates differently whether you’re crossing swords with an enemy, traversing a crumbling bridge, winding up a crossbow and so forth. Demon’s Souls is a very tough game, and one that demands your full attention. It’s precisely the kind of situation I mentioned earlier, where haptics — however innovative — can distract you from what’s happening onscreen.
It wasn’t until very late in the game — right before the final boss, in fact — that I realized the DualSense really can accomplish some things that a simple vibrating controller can’t. Late in the game, you have the opportunity to rescue a hardy fighter named Biorr of the Twin Fangs. When the fearsome Blue Dragon blocks the entrance to the final boss chamber, Biorr selflessly runs into the dragon’s path and proclaims that you’ll fight the beast together. It’s a rousing moment in what is often a very bleak game.
Any Demon’s Soul veteran knows that the best way to fight the Blue Dragon is with a bow, so I let Biorr draw the dragon’s fire and ran right underneath the huge beast, where its fire couldn’t reach me. As I drew my bow and unleashed my arrow, I noticed three very subtle things happening simultaneously: Every time the dragon breathed fire, the DualSense’s bottom half would rumble slightly, simulating an earthshaking impact behind me. At the same time, every time I nocked an arrow, the right trigger would lock halfway down, and release when I fired. Finally, the controller’s speaker would play a “whoosh,” followed by a “thud” to let me know that the arrow had landed.
Taking down the Blue Dragon was a time-consuming process, but in the end, the DualSense helped me feel like I was really fighting off a mythical beast rather than simply performing a repetitive, effortless action. If I’m being totally fair, the Blue Dragon fight is not one of the better boss fights in Demon’s Souls, considering that all you do is stand in one place and hit the same button over and over until you win. But the DualSense elevated it into something at least a little exciting.
DualSense outlook
My stance on the DualSense has softened — but only a little. Demon’s Souls is a 30-hour game, and I can cite only about five minutes where the PS5 controller made it considerably better than its PS3 predecessor. But even so, it makes me hopeful that developers can continue to refine the DualSense and find unobtrusive ways to integrate it into the gameplay.
I don’t know if one excellent encounter in one excellent game is enough to change my opinion of the PS5 controller entirely, but I can say that it’s at least a good start. If the DualSense can deliver more magical moments like the Blue Dragon encounter, it might just justify the peripheral’s odd design choices.
Tech
BikeRadar Podcast | Sea Otter 2024 mountain bike round-up | BikeRadar – BikeRadar
In this episode of the BikeRadar Podcast, George Scott and Jack Luke look back over the best MTB tech they sniffed out at Sea Otter 2024.
Neko Mulally’s bonded DH frame is discussed, alongside the much anticipated Maxxis Aspen ST tyres, which have been teased by professional riders over the past couple of years.
George and Jack also share their thoughts on Atherton’s new S-Range alloy bikes, with the S.170 making its trade show debut after being released in February.
We’ve also put together an article on all the new and oh-so-shiny MTB tech from the show, so be sure to check that out.
How to subscribe to the BikeRadar Podcast
The BikeRadar Podcast takes you to the heart of the issues that matter for bike riders, whether you’re a roadie, mountain biker, gravel rider or commuter.
From the latest tech news, reviews and debates, to interviews with the biggest and most interesting personalities in cycling, the podcast is your direct line into the BikeRadar team.
To make sure you don’t miss a future episode, you can subscribe via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tech
Apple's FineWoven cases rumored to get one final release – AppleInsider
Apple has probably stopped production of its poorly-received FineWoven cases for the iPhone, but a new report from the same herald of its death says there is one last set of seasonal colorways coming.
Now according to leaker Kosutami, who first reported the cancellation, there could still be one more push for the FineWoven cases.
Pressed on the rumor, Kosutami emphasizes later in the same thread that if this is correct, it will be for only one more season. It’s now almost eight months since the launch of the iPhone 15 range, so it’s unlikely that there is to be a new mid-cycle color of the iPhone, but perhaps there can yet be new colors for the FineWoven cases.
Consequently, this rumor can at best be said to be possible, especially if Apple had already committed resources to the new colors. However, since FineWoven has proven to be startlingly poor at stain resistance or even just durability, it’s more believable that it is gone for good than it is that FineWoven will get a last hoorah.
Tech
Meta Expands VR Operating System to Third-Party Hardware Makers – MacRumors
Facebook parent company Meta today announced the upcoming expansion of Meta Horizon OS, a virtual and augmented reality operating system that will be available to third-party hardware manufacturers that want to design their own headsets.
Right now, Meta sells the Quest line of headsets, but the company wants to provide the software for third-party VR and AR products in the future, much like Microsoft offers Windows for all manner of third-party PCs.
Meta Horizon OS is the mixed reality operating system that Meta created for its own Quest headsets, and it has support for eye, face, hand, and body tracking along with passthrough, spatial anchors, scene understanding, and other features. There is a “social layer” that will allow the identities, avatars, and friends of users to move between virtual spaces on different devices.
According to Meta, multiple companies are working on devices that will use Meta Horizon OS. ASUS ROG is developing a performance gaming headset and Lenovo is working on mixed reality devices for productivity, learning, and entertainment. Meta says that it is also creating a limited edition version of Meta Quest in partnership with Xbox.
With the expansion of Meta Horizon OS to third-party hardware manufacturers, Meta is making it easier for any developer to ship VR software on the platform by removing barriers between the Horizon Store and App Lab.
By creating an operating system that can be used by other hardware manufacturers, Meta is inserting itself into the growing AR/VR ecosystem and creating opportunities for it to outpace Apple in mixed reality development. Apple launched the Vision Pro headset earlier this year, but software is lacking given the high price and limited distribution of the device.
According to a report from earlier today, interest in the Vision Pro is already waning at Apple’s retail locations with fewer people requesting demos.
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