When the DualSense PS5 controller was first revealed, fans had no way of knowing just how awesome the haptic feedback would be. Many assumed the worst and figured it would likely be more of a gimmick than anything, but this turned out to be far from the truth. PS5 games that utilize the haptic feedback draw the player in with newfound levels of immersion, but the experience was never really the same for PS4 games played in backwards compatibility mode. This includes Naughty Dog's The Last of Us 2, but it seems as though that might have changed recently thanks to a new firmware update for the DualSense controller.
The thought of having to update a controller may seem strange to some, but it allows for improvements like this to be a reality. Naughty Dog's Kurt Margenau, a Co-Director for The Last of Us 2, explains how this change came about. As it happens, the improvement to The Last of Us 2's haptic feedback comes entirely from within the controller.
Margenau explains that there weren't any changes made to the code in The Last of Us 2. Instead, the improvement that fans have noticed is a direct result of the firmware update that hit the DualSense controller recently. Going into more detail, Margenau discusses how the DualShock 4 and DualSense controller use completely different mechanical methods to generate vibrations and rumble, making it difficult for PS4 games played on PS5 to properly read the directions from the game and make an appropriate response.
Sony recently fixed this issue, providing a way for the DualSense controller to interpret the DualShock's rumble signals and recreate them. Since the two use different mechanical systems, this isn't as simple as just converting a file type, so it's certainly impressive. What's more, even those players that haven't played The Last of Us 2's new PS5 performance patch might start to notice a difference in all PS4 games when playing with a PS5 controller. The rumbling feel should be much more authentic to how it would feel on a DualShock 4 controller, resulting in a more immersive experience that aligns closer with what the developers intended.
Players still won't be getting the full effect of the haptic feedback unless they play a PS5 version of a game, but this is definitely a great change that flew somewhat under the radar. There will no doubt be more changes like this in the future, so players may want to pay close attention to the next DualSense firmware update.
The Last of Us 2 is available now on PS4.