It’s really exciting what Sony’s doing with the PlayStation 5 at the moment. While the next-gen console is clearly building upon the successful foundations of the PlayStation 4, we’ve been happy to see the platform holder embrace a few more exotic features, like the outrageously fast SSD and Tempest Engine. In addition, it’s great that it’s invested so much time and effort into creating a new controller that will help improve the immersion in next-gen games.
But it’s a shame that it couldn’t go a little bit further. For many years, the manufacturer published patents pertaining to biofeedback, suggesting that it was clearly experimenting with the technology. This unique controller feature was pitched as a sensor capable of measuring heart rate and sweat secretion in order to alter the action unfolding on-screen. Examples touted at the time included lowering the difficulty based on a player’s stress levels, but of course horror games would have a field day with a feature such as this.
Obviously, this would have been expensive and potentially unreliable tech, so its absence is probably for the best. But with rumours regarding a rebooted Silent Hills intensifying, we can’t help but wish that biofeedback had made it into the DualSense controller in the end.
Comments 27
i'm happy it did not make it.
i rather have full control of the game's difficulty myself rather than the controler diciding what's best for me.
even if you could turn it off.
also this would indeed rack up the price for a optional feature which is not the best move since the controlers already cost a pretty penny.
it's best that it got scrapped.
Would hate to see the price of it if they did. At the end of the day for better or worse new controller wil be a fad in which only a few games will use it to its potential
Bio-feedback is better saved for optional high-end gamepads with it being limited in how it is used in games... at least until the sensors and other components to make it work would be cheaper.
The Switch can do limited bio-feedback readings with it's IR sensor, but I think Sony had/has/ bigger plans than that.
Less gimmicks on the controller the better. I still hate the touchpad. Even first party games don’t bother with it anymore. It’s basically become a map button.
@jdv95 Well that's just one example of how it could have been used. There's loads you could do with it.
Would hardly call it a shame. it would most likely end up like most controller "gimmicks" used at launch and a bit afterwards then abandoned. It sounds cool but I don't think the pros outweigh the cons, or there are any pros really.
The most important for me is what Cartoonish / Kiddie games i can buy from PS5.
Doesn't really bother with the PS5 controller design as long still playable and comfortable on my hand, it's fine for me.
Integrating technology into a device is great but at some point I start to become concerned with the price of the device. For example, I love the switch pro controller but wasn’t to thrilled to pay $80 out the gate (there were cheaper wired options available but not much of a middle ground). Very happy paying $60 for additional controllers.
No thanks. Gimmicky technology drives up the price of controllers for no good reason, and we don't need yet another reason for the battery to drain faster.
Just eat up more batteries.
Wish it had back buttons. I guess no hope my DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment works on it. I loved having them in DBZ: Kakarot.
I hate controlling controller that's controlling controller's controller... that's too much "controlling" around here. It's just one step from hell like: "Controller didn't recognize you fingerprints, application won't start."
@djlard there can only be one controller!
Reminds me of that Super Famicom Tetris title that had a heart sensor add-on, so as you got more stressed the game sped up.
I think a difficulty option is more than enough in games. No need to adjust how a game behaves based on someones sweat and heart rate, which by the way could also be caused by factors outside of the game itself.
Wait, what ?! So now that when I have played Nioh 2 for 197 hours since 13th march, the controller should "sense" that I "kill the bosses too easily" and up the difficulty, literally making it impossible to "farm" bosses easy for blacksmith plans etc over and over again ?!!
Thats like if I wished the author of this article got corona, he has pains and barely survive after 2 weeks of agony, and now the controller sense "well, this is too easy for him" and hit him with truly deadly corona!! That wouldn't be cool, would it ?!!
I hate AI difficulties like this. When I choose a difficulty, it's up to me to beat the game at that level, no random crap like this please in our games. Just making this article is borderline silly in my opinion.
I platinum about 50-60 games a year, and I know for a fact many use "AI cheating "to make the games wasting my time and unnecessery hard just to make me play them a few more hours. If "biometric"-difficulty ever becomes a reality, I would give up gaming forever. I play games to have fun, not to waste life.
@Anti-Matter
No offence, but you seem a bit obsessed with cartoonish/ kiddie games, lol. Actually Microsoft seem to be quite focused on them kind of games lately 😂
@TurboTom
Because those are the games i only care about.
I just know biofeedback from psychological therapy and don't see much use integrating it into gaming. One could use the FACS system to recognize subtle emotions via camera and adapt accordibg to that... but also very gimmicky. Rather keep a eye on Gabe Newell and his work in computer/brain interfaces.
@Anti-Matter
Yeah that's cool, just having a laugh. Lots of time to myself at the moment 😂
Imagine those trophies...
🏆 Stoic as Tyrael (Kill Diablo for the first time with BPM less than 70 on Hardcore)
🏆 Chihuahua nerves (Complete game with BPM more than 150 on Easy difficulty)
If a controller with that functionality was made, god knows what it would have made of me playing bloodborne! My mrs referred to it as " the weird game that makes you breath funny"...😂
To be fair, Sony have not announced all the features of the DualSense controller as of yet, so this article seems premature...
EDIT: has anyone else noticed that the images are renders, not actual photos (I could be wrong, but I doubt it)???
The DualSense was just announced and their already talking about what it doesn't have😔
@agramonte
That was my exact thought.... "what about my bk button attachment I just paid £30 for?" Let me guess they will release a 2.0 version for the duelsense costing more money.... but me being me like many other people, will pay for it. This bio stuff would of been cool but like other have stated it would of been a novelty an the coolness would of worn out fast when we realised it kills the battery life. Overall tho im impressed with the duelsense and cant wait to see the console to go with.
Personally, I'd love it and wouldn't mind paying extra, but I agree with everyone. No reason to make controllers more expensive for features that most people won't use anyway.
@pil130681
"Overall tho im impressed with the duelsense and cant wait to see the console to go with"
Yep same here. But just like you I would have liked the attachment I just got to work or just have it be part of the new controller. It really does make a difference.
I guess even if it cost the same for the dualsense version. The price of me buying both would still be cheaper than buying the Xbox1 Elite controller.
Thankfully they didn't add this controller. I wonder, what could be next? Maybe face recognition like this for biometric recognition of player's emotion? That's not sound good.
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