PS5 controller ramps up haptic feedback with adaptive triggers and thumbsticks

Sony’s next-generation PS5 controller will take advantage of enhanced haptic technology, including adaptive triggers and thumbsticks.

Revealed through an article on Wired which also detailed optical technology and dev-kits, upcoming DualShock 5 will be a tech-filled device.

Launching with the console during holiday 2020, the controller is described as being similar to the current-gen PlayStation controller.

In the report, the new controller is described as “an unlabelled matte-black doohickey that looks an awful lot like the PS4‘s DualShock 4″. While it may be similar in appearance, much like every PlayStation controller, the technology inside is vastly different.

Much like the current-generation Xbox One controller, the PS5 controller will include adaptive triggers. These hardware triggers will introduce different levels of resistance depending on what the player is doing. If a car’s wheels lock up, the controller will lock up too.

Impressively, the controller’s haptic feedback also affects the feeling of the thumbsticks.

“I ran a character through a platform level featuring a number of different surfaces, all of which gave distinct—and surprisingly immersive—tactile experiences,” Wired writes. “Sand felt slow and sloggy; mud felt slow and soggy. On ice, a high-frequency response made the thumbsticks really feel like my character was gliding. Jumping into a pool, I got a sense of the resistance of the water; on a wooden bridge, a bouncy sensation.”

The final PS5 controller will also be using USB4 technology and a larger internal battery on release. While it is described as being similar to the current-gen DualShock 4, the return of the touchpad and lightbar isn’t confirmed. However, with Playstation 4 backward compatibility they will probably be included.