Housemarque launches Saros, a PS5 title showcasing DualSense controller haptics
The game is positioned as a significant showcase for the Sony controller's capabilities five years after the console's launch, offering tactile warnings and voice syncing rather than treating features as secondary bonuses.
Housemarque has released Saros, a new title for the PlayStation 5 that is being highlighted as a significant showcase for the DualSense controller's haptic feedback and adaptive trigger capabilities. The game integrates these features critically into gameplay mechanics, such as providing tactile warnings for low ammunition and syncing vibrations with character voices and environmental interactions, rather than treating them as secondary bonuses.
The DualSense controller was one of Sony's main selling points for the PS5, offering genuinely cool new experiences compared to traditional rumble effects. Previous titles like Astro's Playroom and Returnal demonstrated the controller's potential with sand crunching and futuristic weapon pulses, respectively. However, few titles since the PS5's release have captured that same magic, and the controller's features have largely been forgotten or treated as optional extras in most other games.
Saros is described as arguably the first game in quite a while to make the DualSense feel important, with haptics acting as a critical part of playing rather than an added bonus. Specific examples of haptic integration include pitch changes indicating low ammo, three short taps for a triple-fire handcannon, a fine point sensation for charged crossbow shots, and shield rumbling that matches on-screen undulation.
Non-combat interactions also utilise the controller, such as feeling short pulses while running, rattling sensations when grappling closer to a point, and the controller humming in sync with a character's voice. The reviewer notes that these tactile indicators can improve the experience during frenetic firefights by allowing players to rely on haptics instead of parsing a busy screen.
The article suggests that Saros may kickstart a renewed interest in the DualSense's features more than five years after the PS5's launch. Only a handful of studios have truly figured out how to utilise the DualSense's various features effectively over the last five years, and this release aims to demonstrate the untapped potential in the hardware.
