The PlayStation 5 has been out for almost four years now, and with a wide variety of games in its catalog, it’s surprising how few of them actually take full advantage of the PS5’s incredible technology. In particular, the DualSense technology that features haptic feedback and adaptive triggers is rarely utilized in games, save for a few that do it incredibly well.
These ten games incorporate haptic feedback and adaptive trigger technology as part of their core design, with titls like Returnal doing it in ways that completely revolutionize the gameplay experience. It’s hard to believe more games don’t utilize these features, especially after seeing what’s possible with this technology in Astro Bot or Ratchet & Clank.
10
Gran Turismo 7: Check Your E-Brake
The DualSense Takes This Racing Experience To The Next Level
In Gran Turismo 7, the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback dramatically enhance realism and immersion. The adaptive triggers simulate resistance based on driving conditions, such as brake pressure or wheel lockups, and they make each car feel distinct.
When braking hard, the left trigger stiffens, mimicking the real-life tension of a brake pedal. The right trigger adjusts throttle resistance, especially when losing traction. Meanwhile, haptic feedback delivers nuanced vibrations that change based on surface textures, weather, and how tires grip. Driving over gravel or rumble strips, for example, produces a gritty response in your hands.
This level of physical feedback deepens the connection between the player and their vehicle, and it completely enhances the gameplay experience. Rather than simply watching the action, you can feel it, transforming gameplay into a more full-bodied driving experience. It’s a subtle yet revolutionary shift in racing immersion that future games in the genre need to take note of.
9
Control Ultimate Edition: Now That’s Some Brainpower
Haptic Feedback Enhances Suspense & Immersion In Control’s 2025 Ultimate Edition
Control: Ultimate Edition leverages the DualSense controller to heighten its supernatural atmosphere and enhance combat. Through adaptive triggers, each weapon form offers distinct tactile feedback like increased tension with the Charge weapon or subtle resistance with the Grip pistol. It creates a tangible connection to the weapon arsenal.
The controller mirrors the game’s shifting energy as well, delivering variable pressure based on the intensity of firefights. Haptic feedback captures the eerie world of the Federal Bureau of Control, precisely vibrating based on the surrounding environment. Whether it’s the hum of a levitation lift-off or the impact of a telekinetic blast, players feel each moment.
The DualSense amplifies tension and responsiveness, making abilities feel more powerful and reactive. Rather than simply observing the chaos, the DualSense allows players to experience it firsthand, elevating immersion and deepening Control’s signature sense of strange, kinetic power.
8
Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut – Feel Your Surroundings
Experience Jin’s Every Move In A Completely Refined Way
Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut integrates DualSense features to deepen immersion in its samurai world. Adaptive triggers offer resistance when drawing a bow, with tension increasing as you pull, mimicking real archery. Similarly, sword clashes provide satisfying feedback, making each parry or strike feel weighted and precise.
Haptic feedback captures the island’s atmosphere, with footsteps shifting subtly across grass, mud, or wooden floors, while the gallop of your horse pulses in your hands. Environmental effects, like gusts of wind guiding your path or the rumble of distant thunder, are felt by the player instead of just heard in the background.
These detailed sensations pull players deeper into Jin’s journey. With Ghost of Yotei on the horizon, it’s expected to take full advantage of enhanced DualSense capabilities, potentially delivering even more refined and reactive feedback than the Director’s Cut of the original. This continued evolution of tactile storytelling signals a promising leap in player immersion for the series.
7
Cyberpunk 2077: Welcome To Night City
Cyberpunk 2077 Is Currently Free On PS Plus
Cyberpunk 2077 utilizes the DualSense controller to enhance the feel of its gritty, immersive world. Gunfire is distinct across weapon types thanks to the adaptive triggers, with varying resistance for pistols, rifles, and heavy arms.
Driving features tension changes based on terrain or vehicle type, adding physical realism. Haptic feedback mirrors Night City’s chaos, with various types of vibration and rumbles based on location. These features enrich the game’s sensory depth, making actions more visceral and immersive.
Cyberpunk 2077 was recently made available for free to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers, making it an ideal time to experience its upgraded features. With DualSense support, the game feels more alive than ever, delivering a deeply tactile, next-level cyberpunk experience.
6
Horizon Forbidden West: Join Aloy On The Journey West
DualSense Technology Noticeably Improves Horizon Gameplay Across Games
Horizon Forbidden West builds on the foundation of Horizon Zero Dawn by fully embracing the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to elevate gameplay immersion. Every weapon feels unique, and drawing Aloy’s bow now includes realistic tension in the adaptive triggers, varying with bow type and draw strength.
Traps, slings, and spike throwers deliver distinct resistance and tactile feedback, enhancing combat dramatically over the original. Haptic vibrations are finely tuned as well. For example, sprinting across different terrain, swimming, or gliding all result in nuanced, location-specific rumbles.
Machine encounters also feel more intense, with the controller responding to heavy footsteps, impacts, and random chaos. These features weren’t possible in Zero Dawn, making Forbidden West feel more physically connected and reactive by comparison. The DualSense transforms the entire experience in Forbidden West, pushing immersion beyond visuals and deepening the bond between the player, the world, and each machine.
5
Subnautica: Below Zero – Take The DualSense On A Deep Dive
Subnautica Features Incredibly Innovative Gameplay With DualSense
Subnautica: Below Zero uses the DualSense controller to make its underwater survival world feel more immersive and alive. Adaptive triggers respond differently depending on the tool you’re using, such as activating the Seaglide or firing the propulsion cannon, which adds resistance.
Haptic feedback delivers subtle, environmental immersion. The rumble of deep-sea creatures, the hum of passing currents, or the crunch of ice beneath your feet. When piloting vehicles like the Seatruck, vibrations shift based on speed and collisions, enhancing navigation through alien terrain.
The sensation of surfacing, diving, or encountering hostile fauna is made more intense through responsive vibrations. These additions ground you in 4546B’s mysterious oceans, elevating tension and exploration. With DualSense support, Below Zero transforms from just a survival game into a fully sensory deep-sea experience.
4
Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced: A Reimagined Way To Play The Classic
GTA V Enhanced DualSense Features Make The Game Worth Replaying
The GTA V Enhanced Edition for PS5 brings the world of Los Santos to life with new DualSense features that add depth and realism to its gameplay. Adaptive triggers provide varying resistance depending on the weapon or vehicle. Firing a pistol feels snappy and light, while heavy weapons offer a noticeable kick.
Driving across different terrains changes the feel of the triggers as well, simulating traction loss, bumps, or tight turns. Haptic feedback amplifies the city’s chaos. The thud of explosions, screech of tires, and rumble of helicopters are felt directly through the controller.
Even smaller details, like weather changes or getting hit, are translated into subtle vibrations. These enhancements make interactions more tactile and immersive. By integrating DualSense technology, Rockstar has given GTA V a fresh, sensory-rich layer that modernizes the classic experience for a new generation.
3
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – An Incredible DualSense Adventure
Rift Apart Is One Of The Best DualSense Games Out There
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a standout example of how to fully integrate DualSense technology into gameplay. In Rift Apart, every weapon feels distinct thanks to the adaptive triggers, and half-pressing or full-pressing can change fire modes, adding layers of depth. The Enforcer, for example, fires one barrel with a light pull and both with a full press.
Haptic feedback is finely tuned, and you can feel each step, explosion, and dimensional rift as vibrations ripple across the controller. Environmental textures, like metallic surfaces or shifting portals, are conveyed through subtle feedback, further increasing immersion.
These features aren’t just gimmicks — they’re core to the experience, enhancing responsiveness and making gameplay more tactile. Rift Apart sets a benchmark for how DualSense can deepen interactivity and storytelling in action-adventure games.
2
Returnal: A Roguelike Designed For DualSense
DualSense Feedback Is Essential To The Retural Experience
Returnal was one of the first games built specifically for the PS5, designed from the ground up to showcase the power of the DualSense controller, and it does so brilliantly. Adaptive triggers redefine weapon handling in Returnal. Each gun features alt-fire modes activated through varying trigger pressure, offering seamless transitions between firing styles without button clutter.
Haptic feedback is extraordinarily precise, delivering the patter of rainfall, the hum of alien energy, or the thump of nearby enemies directly into your hands. Even Selene’s footsteps shift in feel depending on terrain, heightening tension quite effectively.
This is another game where the DualSense isn’t just an accessory. It’s central to Returnal’s fast, fluid gameplay loop, and you’re missing out if you play this game without a DualSense controller. Its immersive feedback and responsive controls create a deeply tactile experience that blurs the line between the player and the world, setting a gold standard for the technology.
1
Astro Bot: A Technology-Defining Sensation
You Have To Play Astro Bot To Truly Understand Why It’s Incredible
The one-of-a-kind Astro Bot originated from Astro’s Playroom, a tech showcase pre-installed on the PS5 that was designed to highlight the DualSense controller’s capabilities. What began as a playful demo evolved into a full-fledged platformer, building on the charm and innovation that made Astro’s Playroom a surprise hit.
In Astro Bot, DualSense technology is literally inseparable from the core experience. Adaptive triggers simulate springy jumps, gadget tension, and environmental interactions with remarkable accuracy. Haptic feedback delivers an extraordinary range of sensations, from raindrops on Astro’s head to the texture of shifting terrain under your feet.
The built-in speaker and motion controls further deepen immersion, even getting players to blow into the mic for certain mechanics to operate. These features work in harmony to create gameplay that feels fresh, intuitive, and incredibly unique.
Astro Bot is the technology-defining game for the PlayStation 5 DualSense, and is a perfect example of how these features can be seamlessly woven into game design, turning every moment into a sensory-rich adventure.
- Brand
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Sony
- Original Release Date
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November 19, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$399.99 (Digital Only), $499.99 (Disc Drive)
- Weight
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Digital Edition now weighs 3.4 kg & base version weighs 3.9 kg
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
