The mouse and keyboard setup may be the standard way to game on PC, but as more and more multiplatform games come to computers, there is a growing number of PC games that work better with a controller. Because of this, a lot of Linux users will likely be glad to know that they’re getting an official driver for the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller.
The open-source operating system has had support for Sony products for a while now, courtesy of a “hid-sony” driver. However, according to Phoronix, Sony has released a new “hid-playstation” driver over the weekend that allows the DualSense to be used in Linux in both USB and Bluetooth mode.
Included in the new driver is official support for the controller’s LEDs, motion sensors, touchpad, battery, and rumble. Much like the DualSense support that was added to Steam last month, though, it doesn’t support the controller’s next-gen haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Furthermore, the hid-playstation driver technically isn’t available for regular download yet, since it’s still in the review phase, but interested users can still try out any of the 13 patches that are presently available.
While it may be some time before the average Linux user will be able to get proper usage out of the new driver, the fact that it’s being worked on will be appreciated by a lot of gamers. The DualSense is widely considered one of the PS5’s best features, and with any luck, it will be readily available for Linux users in time for at least some of the major controller-friendly games coming to PC next year.
Source: Phoronix