PlayStation 5 to feature haptic feedback

October 18, 2019 Off By Rowena Cletus

Hey PlayStation fans, we have some exciting news you. After much hype and anticipation since April about the upcoming PlayStation, we now know a few more details about the successor to the PlayStation 4. Defying most rumors, Sony has chosen to stick with its tried and tested nomenclature. And as such, the next generation console will be called the PlayStation 5.

It will make its debut sometime at the end of 2020, just in time for the holiday season. This isn’t much of a surprise because a perfectly timed launch especially during the holiday shopping rush, could allow Sony to rake in quite a profit. Apart from the launch date, the company also divulged other details to keep us salivating for more.

What’s more exciting however, is the controller that will ship with the PlayStation 5. The aim for the next generation console, is to provide a more realistic feeling when playing games, which will contribute to a more immersive gaming experience. A way to accomplish this is by reimagining the look and feel of the controller. Unlike the venerable DualShock one, the new controller is all about interactions.

The PlayStation 5 will come with two new innovative methods to improve the gaming experience. The first is by adopting haptic feedback to replace the “rumble” technology, which is found in controllers from previous generation PlayStations. This haptic tech, provides a broader range of feedback, meaning there will be a discernible difference sensed when moving from title to title.

The feedback experienced when crashing your car in a racing game will differ greatly to one of making a sweeping tackle on the football pitch of the latest iteration of FIFA. That’s not all, the icing on the cake is, you will even be able to sense the different textures when your gaming character runs through the fields of grass or when plodding through mud, making for a surreal experience.

Apart from haptic feedback, the second method is called adaptive triggers, which have been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2). Game developers will be able to programme the amount of resistance provided by these triggers, which can help mimic the tactile sensation of drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating in an off- road vehicle on rough roads.

By combining these two technologies, the PlayStation 5 will be able to provide a more powerful gaming experience that better simulates various action sequences than previous generation consoles. Game creators have already received the early version of the new controller, which will not only allow them ahead start on game developed, but their valuable feedback could be helpful to fine-tune the product.

There is no doubt in our mind that Sony will reveal more about the PlayStation 5 in the coming months leading up to its actual launch. As for the PS4, it isn’t the end of the road, yet. There are still several blockbuster titles, which include Death Stranding, The Last of US Part II and Ghost of Tsushima that are being developed for the platform.

It looks like 2020 is shaping up to be a great year for gamers, which also makes us wonder what Microsoft has up its sleeve. Will it be able to thwart Sony from stealing its market share with a beefed up controller of its own? We wait with baited breath….