Featured Image Credit: NurPhoto (via Getty Images)
Topics: Tech, Sony, PlayStation, PlayStation 5
Putting aside my nostalgic feelings towards a SEGA Mega Drive or Nintendo 64 controller, in terms of functionality, the DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 is one of the best controllers of all time, in my opinion.
For starters, inspired by PlayStation controllers of previous generations, the DualSense has a shape that feels natural to hold, for those who may favour the Sony machines.
It’s also a bit bigger than its DualShock 4 predecessor, and has a bit more weight to it. Those two aspects make the DualSense controller more comfortable to hold.
What’s more, it also has adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. In a nutshell, these are vibration components that dynamically provide feedback depending on the game and segment at hand. It’s really cool and adds an extra layer of immersion.
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For example, if you’re pulling a bow with Ellie in The Last of Us Part I, you will feel the pull and restriction of the bow tightening when being pulled back. If you’re playing Gran Turismo 7, each terrain under the car's wheels will feel different.
There are tons of other features of the DualSense controller, but I could be here all day explaining them. However, there is one feature that is very helpful that you might not know about, or in my case have accidentally activated it once, never to see it again.
The feature in question is the ‘Tilt-to-Type’, which makes typing messages, potentially, much easier. Using a good old keyboard, I can type at a reasonable speed. Yet, depending on how my arthritis in my hands is, typing using the DualSense controller is a little more gruelling.
This feature takes advantage of the DualSense controller's motion controls. Basically, by clicking the analogue sticks (L3 and R3) simultaneously, a cursor will appear on the message keyboard.
Now, instead of using the analogue stick or the D-pad to select letters, you simply move the on-screen cursor over the letter and press X. It might take a little getting used to at first, but once it becomes a habit, you might find that it’s much faster to type messages than the usual way.
So, there you have it. If typing messages on the DualSense controller annoys you more than it perhaps should, maybe try using the motion controls to message friends, and it might be a bit less tedious. Maybe.