On paper, games should run much better on the Xbox Series X compared to the Playstation 5. It has both a higher clocked CPU and more powerful GPU as well as a more impressive cooling system. If these were two PCs, it would be no question which could squeeze those extra frames out of the most demanding of games.
But last month something strange happened.
Control: Ultimate Edition was released to Next Gen consoles. This game was a technical marvel when it originally released in 2019 but it proved too big a challenge to run on PS4 and Xbox One, even the more powerful mid-cycle refreshed consoles. The game struggled to maintain 30 frames per second on last gen machines, and it looked far worse than when it ran on a high end PC.
Ultimate Edition was developer Remedy’s chance to redeem itself to console players on next-gen and they did it. The game ran locked 60fps on both consoles, or locked 30fps with next-gen raytracing enabled, barely breaking a sweat in scenes that would bring old consoles to their knees. This was the case on both the Playstation 5, Xbox Series X, and even the weaker Series S console; a true statement to just how well built these new machines are.
What was odd though is that, between Xbox Series X and Playstation 5, there was no difference between the games with regards to performance. Both consoles ran Control at 1440p, despite the Xbox theoretically having the additional graphics power needed to bump resolution up without worrying about losing frames.
It seems that for Control, Remedy chose not to optimize their game further for the Xbox’s hardware. But Remedy did do something special for the Playstation 5 and its new controller.
What makes the PS5 special is not it’s specs, those are perfectly fine despite looking inferior to the Xbox on paper. It’s powerful enough to make new games look gorgeous and run great. That’s what matters. But the PS5’s controller, the Dualsense, is the real difference maker. You’ll not be hard pressed to find lavish praise for the Dualsense controller. With just one game, Astro’s Playroom, Sony was able to show everyone why they were so bullish on their new controller. But even the most enthusiastic Sony fans, myself included, were convinced Dualsense features would be something only really seen in Sony’s own exclusives. This is still something to be excited for. I can’t wait to feel Kratos’ axe fall into my hands in the next God of War game.
Control shows that it isn’t just Sony who’s excited about the Dualsense. Control is the showcase for the Dualsense’s potential since Astro’s Playroom.
Like all things touch, it’s basically impossible for me to make you understand what I’m talking about unless you own a console yourself, but I will do my best. Control’s combat and traversal all revolves around telekinetic powers. The main character, Jesse, can grab rocks with her mind, lift them up to make a shield, and push enemies away with short range blasts. Every single one of these actions feels different on the Dualsense, and I mean every one of them. Press R1 to grab an object and you can feel it buzzing in your right palm just waiting to fly at your target. Lift a wall of stone to protect yourself from enemy fire and your whole hand subtly shakes and bumps as if you can feel the individual stones you’re controlling.
The same goes for the different forms your gun can take in the game. Thanks to the dualsense’s adaptive triggers playing exceptionally well with the haptic feedback, shooting each weapon feels unique and great in the hand. A shotgun kicks back differently than a semi-automatic pistol. Your gun can also take the form of a laser pistol that needs to build up its charge to fire. When it’s primed and ready to go, the trigger shakes against your finger as if the energy is begging to release.
Remedy didn’t just throw in some gimmicks to helps Sony justify their new controller, they went above and beyond to show just how excited the entire developer community should be to make games on Playstation.
If I was Microsoft, this would be very worrying to me. Developers ignoring the extra horsepower your console wields to focus on the competitor’s superior controller this early in the generation should be proof enough you need to course correct. There have been some signs Microsoft is at least testing to see how many Xbox customers are aware of the Dualsense, and could include haptic feedback on the next Xbox Elite controller. The issue is, the Elite controller costs $200 and really isn’t used by that many players.
Microsoft should do what Sony did for the PS3. That console launched with the Sixaxis controller, a failed experiment to ditch rumble feedback and replace it with motion controls. Sony was quick to course correct that mistake, replacing the Sixaxis with the DualShock 3, now featuring rumble, as the Playstation 3’s free, packed in controller, after just a year. This is what Microsoft needs to do to keep pace with Sony. Don’t just charge people $200 for a feature the competition includes, replace your controller again, at whatever the cost, so developers know they’ll have a sizable player base to design for if they do the work to improve haptics on your platform.
This is extra important because of Microsoft’s place in PC gaming. Xbox controllers can easily switch from a console to a PC, and selling a standard Xbox controller with improved haptics and adaptive triggers would mean PC gamers can experience these features at a much more affordable price than buying an Elite controller.
Sony fanboys may cry and say Microsoft “copied” Sony, but ultimately who cares? The Dualsense makes gaming better in a way better graphics just don’t. If you’re a real gaming fan, you should be screaming from the rooftop for innovative features like this to be put in the hands of as many people as possible regardless of where they play.