It’s no great secret that the PlayStation 5‘s DualSense controller is an impressive gamepad, one that not only makes for a more immersive, haptics-oriented gaming experience, but also gives more room for control schemes. For instance, Housemarque’s recent Saros, like Returnal before it, uses the DualSense’s adaptive triggers to essentially create a new button, in a manner that isn’t possible with other controllers. In short, it’s a unique device, and easily one of the biggest perks of the PS5. However, it’s far from perfect.
Setting aside all-too-common complaints like stick drift, cost, and overall longevity, the DualSense isn’t an easy fit for the PC environment. Unlike the Xbox controller, which more or less has complete feature parity on PC, the DualSense feels a bit more compromised. For example, the aforementioned adaptive triggers are often not supported by the PC versions of cross-platform games, and other controller functions, like the headphone jack and advanced haptics, are only supported via a wired connection. Not only is this disappointing, but it also makes the DualSense an essentially inferior choice for PC gamers, as Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One controllers are often notably cheaper and devoid of compromise, while also being easier to connect and supported by more games. The DualSense still has a long way to go on PC, but a Steam app called DSX is making strides in the meantime.
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Feel the terror with these psychological horror games that don’t just play out on your screen, but use DualSense haptics to leap into your hands.
The PS5’s DualSense Now Has Wireless Haptics and Audio Support on PC (Kind Of)
Steam app DSX recently received a substantial update, with its most significant change honing in on the aforementioned DualSense feature suite. The patch notes read: “Added Virtual DualSense with Audio support, allowing games to send native DualSense audio and haptics through DSX over Bluetooth or USB.” To reiterate, DualSense audio and haptics have previously only been available for PC users who opt to connect their DualSense via USB. This might seem like a minor issue, but for regular use, it can be quite frustrating. This is doubly true for those who use their PC in a living room setup, a demographic that will probably only grow if Valve’s Steam Machine is successful.
DSX simply makes it possible for audio and haptics to be sent to the DualSense via a wireless connection. It won’t add haptics or audio support for games that don’t already have it.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
DSX also makes for a more complex and customizable DualSense experience overall. With it, you can adjust the DualSense’s LED lights, deadzones, gyro controls, and more. Of course, you can accomplish many of these goals with other apps (DS4Windows, for example), but DSX makes an effort to be both more comprehensive and more user-friendly, aiming to foster a deep, console-like experience for PC users who prefer the DualSense. But the program has one glaring caveat.
If You Want Full DualSense Functionality on PC, You’ll Have to Pay
The biggest catch with DSX is its price, which is $8 on Steam. It’s not a huge sum, but it’s nevertheless frustrating to have to pay for features that Sony should have included itself. DSX is ultimately another example of independent developers picking up a major company’s slack.
Sony improving DualSense support on PC wouldn’t just be consumer-friendly, but a shrewd business decision as well. After all, if someone is going to play on PC, why not sell them a fully functional DualSense controller to pair with it? Otherwise, it just creates an opening for other, more compatible controllers in the PC market. And with so many Sony games on PC, it simply makes sense. But for now, DSX is arguably PC users’ most complete resource for DualSense support.
