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First DualSense controller hands-on reveals a built-in PS5 game

Sony continues to slowly reveal the pieces of the PS5 puzzle and we just got our best look at the DualSense controller. 

Geoff Keighley, the creator of The Game Awards, has the scoop with a DualSense hands-on that wasn’t exactly blockbuster in nature, but gave us a little more information than we had before.

The Summer Game Fest live stream game us a good look at the new adaptive triggers that will create tension points akin to pulling back on a bow and arrow, for example. We also got a demo of the new haptic engine that will provide more varied feedback, mimicking different surfaces. Running through sand or running on ice will feel different, Sony has previously outlined.

Related: Best PS5 games

Keighley said the DualSense built-in speaker also offers a wider range than the PS4’s DualShock, offering greater harmony with the haptics and the audio from the console itself. You can see the preview in the hands-on video below:

He said it weighs a little more than the DualShock 4, but said it has some heft in a “good way.” He also showed us the DualSense side-by-side with its predecessor for the first time publicly and you can clearly see that extra girth.

The stream also confirmed that there’ll be no back buttons akin to the attachment Sony released for the PS4 controller last year. That has surprised and upset some gamers on social media, who also also seemed to think the stream would reveal a price and release date for the PS5.

One nugget the stream did reveal was a built-in game that’ll ship with the PS5. It’s called Astro’s Play, which is a 3D platformer Geoff described as a multi-hour game.

Keighley said it was a good showcase for how the new elements of the controller will set the tone for gaming experiences on the PS5. In fact, the game itself pretty much exists to get people used to the new controller.

A picture of a scene from a PS5 game called Astros Playroom

We saw the haptics and triggers demonstrated for the first time, while swipe gestures via the trackpad and even the ability to blow into the microphone to move a fan were featured during the demo.

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