Saros kicks off with a bang — or rather, a buzz. The game’s opening uses the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller to deliver tactile feedback that feels almost as urgent as the on-screen action.

The sharp haptic pulses for each letter type out are just the start. Housemarque, the Finnish studio behind Saros and the acclaimed Returnal, is pushing the boundaries of what controllers can do. The adaptive triggers offer resistance that changes with every pull, making every shot count.

But is this all about impressing players or steering us toward proprietary hardware? ‘It does kind of incentivize you to buy Sony hardware,’ says analyst Anshel Sag, but how compelling are these features in the grand scheme?

Saros uses haptics not just for action sequences but also during cinematics, enhancing emotional impact. ‘The typical way and the easiest way is just take what you hear and make that drive the haptics,’ says Matti Häkli from Housemarque, showing how these features can add a new layer of immersion.

The future of gaming lies in such innovations, but will they come at the cost of player choice with third-party controllers lagging behind? Saros hopes to inspire developers to embrace DualSense’s full potential, but only time will tell if this is just another gimmick or a step forward for interactive storytelling.