Majority of PS5 players don't care about DualSense features, poll finds

Why buy a PlayStation? The exclusive games? The sleek console design? Well, it’s definitely not the fancy controller, apparently.

A recent poll from ResetEra asked: “How much do PS5's features like DualSense haptics, adaptive triggers, and spatial audio contribute to your enjoyment of games on the platform?” At the time of writing 1,715 users have voted, with the results painting a telling picture of how much gamers really value the unique and exclusive features that Sony’s DualSense controller offers.

Speaking of the PS5, take a look at the launch trailer for Burning Shores.

Poll participants were given four options to choose from when answering the question, which was: "They significantly enhance my enjoyment throughout an entire game", "They are nice and appreciated, but I stop noticing them after a while", "I'm indifferent to them", and "I actively dislike them and/or disable some or all of them".

In total, 619 voters (36.1%) stated that DualSense features “significantly enhance my enjoyment throughout an entire game”, yet surprisingly 471 (27.5%) said that while the features are appreciated they tend to “stop noticing them after a while”.

Additionally, 400 (23.3%) said they were indifferent to the features, and finally, 225 (13.1%) actively dislike them. Meaning the majority of respondents to the poll either don’t care about the features, or straight up don’t like them.

This is surprising as PlayStation’s DualSense controller has always been regarded as one of the best parts of the console line-up, with repeated praise for its haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and spatial audio. While the features by themselves aren’t as impressive, they significantly enhance many applauded PlayStation exclusives like The Last Of Us, Horizon Forbidden West, and Demon Souls to name a few.

To be fair, this isn’t the first time in Sony’s history that PlayStation fans haven’t taken to additional features or enhancements, as the PlayStation 2’s underwhelming EyeToy peripheral sold poorly, and more recently the PS VR2 which was deemed too expensive for fans of the system.