Latest news with #DualSense
The Verge
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Astro Bot's director on making a PlayStation icon
Astro Bot is filled with whimsy and silliness that makes you want to pay attention to the details. But in a presentation at this year's Game Developers Conference, director Nicolas Doucet shared one particular aspect of Astro the robot that I hadn't noticed but blew me away. Doucet talked about how Team Asobi worked hard to give the game a good tempo with things like enemy placement and how you can interact with Astro's spaceship with the DualSense's gyro controls on loading screens. One thing that kept the momentum going was Astro himself and how he shows his impatience. Doucet showed a video of one idle animation where Astro is hopping up and down on his feet and pointing forward, almost like a little kid that's demanding you go to the playground. It's adorable — and was added 'very, very late' in development, Doucet says when I chat with him a few weeks after the presentation. While a lot of games have characters simply breathing or looking left to right while they're idle, Team Asobi thought that it could do something a little more fun. Since the game is about rescuing characters, the team started to tie the animations to the idea of looking around, Doucet says. The team even reduced the amount of time it takes for the animations to show as a way to more quickly remind the player of the goal to find the bots. Doucet thinks of this as a subliminal way to put players in the mood to move faster. Astro actually originates from a 2013 PS4 pack-in game called The Playroom that used the PS4 camera. In that game, the robot is named Asobi, but he looks a lot like the charming Astro from Astro Bot: Asobi has big blue eyes and a cute, pudgy robot body. 'Back then, the design of the character came from two angles,' Doucet says. One was that the development team didn't have much time, so they went for a simple character design instead of a human that might require a lot of facial animations. But they also picked a robot because of where it would be making its debut: a preinstalled game on (at the time) new Sony hardware. When you think about Sony or PlayStation, Doucet says that there is an 'aspiration to the future' or something 'a little bit science fiction.' Team Asobi uses the term 'techno magic.' The robot's design came from that: 'we wanted the playful fun character, but also coupled with something really cool and futuristic.' The PS5 hardware and Astro might share a lot of similarities — white plastic with black parts and blue lights — but that's an accident, Doucet says. Instead, both the character designers and hardware team were following similar values. While it's flattering to hear that people treat Astro as PlayStation's mascot, Doucet says that wasn't the design team's original intention for the character. Instead, a mascot needs to be something that 'grows naturally' and something that the users decide or feel. That happens through repeated consistency and quality, Doucet believes. In retrospect, the awards for the game — including Game of the Year at The Game Awards — are well deserved, but the goal was primarily to put platformers and family-friendly games back on the map and release 'as good a game as we can.' Doucet used to look at renowned PlayStation studios like Naughty Dog (Uncharted, The Last of Us) and Santa Monica Studio (God of War), and think they knew some kind of 'black magic' that Team Asobi didn't. But following Astro Bot, the takeaway was that 'actually, it became the sum of lots of small things that are carefully made.' If the team keeps that consistency and makes sure that 'every bit' of the game is done as well as possible, then 'the sum of it ends up being high quality.' No wonder Astro is impatient to explore.
Gizmodo
5 days ago
- Gizmodo
If You Have a PS5, the PlayStation DualSense Controller Costs Peanuts on Amazon
This is the lowest price ever seen for a PS5 DualSense controller. If you own a PS5, having multiple controllers is almost a necessity as there's nothing better than sharing your favorite PlayStation games with friends or family in the same room. While it's always wise to have a spare controller ready for multi-player sessions or simply as a backup for you, genuine discounts on the PlayStation DualSense wireless controller are rare. Even during Black Friday, major promotions were hard to find which makes this moment the perfect opportunity to add another controller to your setup. Right now, the PlayStation DualSense controller is available on Amazon for just $54 which is a substantial 27% off its usual $74 price. This limited-time deal marks an all-time low, so it's an ideal time to buy. See at Amazon Why We Love It The biggest feature of the DualSense controler is haptic feedback which puts the feel of in-game action and environments right in your hands. Whether you're racing down rough roads, wielding guns or feeling the crash of a collision, the controller's next-gen vibration motors plunge you further into the game. Aside from the haptic feedback, adaptive triggers provide varying levels of force and tension so that you can feel the distinction between drawing back a bowstring or slamming on the brakes in a racing title. They work together to create a feeling of realism and immersion that was not achievable on previous PlayStation controllers. The built-in microphone allows you to chat online without a headset and the 3.5mm audio jack allows you to plug in your favorite headphones for individual use. The create button is convenient to use to capture and stream your most excellent gaming moments in case you're playing with buddies or capturing highlights to playback later. The controller's iconic appearance has been fine-tuned for comfort with enhanced sticks and an intuitive layout that feels great in your hand even after long gaming sessions. DualSense isn't only for PlayStation 5 gamers: With its USB Type-C and Bluetooth connectivity, you can easily play it on Windows desktops and Macs too which gives you even more gaming possibilities outside of the console. Most high-end PC games currently support advanced features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, which lets you experience the same immersive experience playing from your computer. With over 33,000 reviews and a lovely 4.6 out of 5-star rating, the PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller is a proven winner among gamers. Don't hesitate too much: These sales don't come around often, and the stock may not be here. See at Amazon
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PlayStation fans can only dream — I hit 316 fps in 'Stellar Blade' on my RTX 5090 laptop
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Don't mind me triple back-flipping into a parry with my Stellar Blade (heh). My blade in this context is an RTX 5090 gaming laptop, the question is: how well does this PlayStation exclusive hold up on PC? If you're nostalgic for the Devil May Cry and Bayonetta era, Stellar Blade is a similar action-adventure game with a whole lot of style and a sprinkle of Soulslike energy. But similar to that era, it also walks a questionable line between objectifying or empowering its female cast. It was written and directed by men, so take that for what you will. I played Stellar Blade on an HP Omen Max 16 outfitted with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 24GB GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz, OLED display. Here's how it ran. Stellar Blade threw me right into the action, and I found myself parrying and slashing through the borderline eldritch horrors that are the Naytiba. Then I discovered another eldritch horror… the looting system. Those tiny, unlabeled rainbow dots are way too easy to walk right past. Thankfully, you can enable auto-loot. Good news, my fellow DualSense lovers. Stellar Blade on PC is compatible with those unique DualSense features. I didn't know how much of it would be used, but when I got to the first city, I felt the pleasant tingle of the subtle haptic feedback simulating the rain around me. And each slash of my weapon felt unique and impactful. As for the graphics, I hopped across dilapidated city rooftops with everything turned up to Very High at a 2560 x 1600 resolution. That applies to all of the following tests. Stellar Blade developer Shift Up included native support for Nvidia's DLSS 4 technology, which you can access with an RTX 50-series GPU DLSS 4 is a supersampling technology that boosts visuals and performance. We've seen native support in many titles at this point, from Doom: The Dark Ages to Dune: Awakening. I'm a fan and critic of the technology because I've seen what happens when tools like Multi-Frame Generation are relied upon too heavily, like in Monster Hunter Wilds. For those unaware, frame generation produces frames with AI that analyzes the true frames rendered on your GPU. This is dark magic at best because not everything is all sunshine and rainbows, but let's get into it. I took to the streets with my new perfect dodge and tried to slay those Cricket Slashers and got poisoned to death — ouch. With no help from DLSS, my RTX 5090 laptop GPU managed a strong 106 frames per second on TAA. If you want to go raw graphics with no upscaling, the RTX 5090 will take you for a smooth ride. Now, I am a diehard advocate for making games as playable as possible without upscaling, but I cannot help but enjoy DLSS' DLAA upscaler. This uses native resolution to enhance the overall visuals. It's more taxing than raw performance, but it looked flawless when I gave one of those beefier Guardians a beatdown at 92 fps. But what happened when I turned frame generation on? Frame generation is not without its trade-offs; you might see some artifacts or overall fuzziness here and there. I did see some in the windows of a building in the distance, but for the most part, Stellar Blade does a great job of keeping things smooth. Set to DLAA, I tested 2x Frame Generation (FG) and 4x Multi-Frame Generation (MFG). I saw the immediate impact with FG when I perfectly dodged my way through a group of enemy combos, averaging a strong 141 fps. As I swam my way to the next camp, the RTX 5090 pulled through 224 fps with MFG. If you don't want to use frame generation to maximize your frames, you can opt for the High Performance mode. Upscaling with raw performance netted me 128 fps as I tried to navigate through this hella confusing cityscape — seriously, I'm both delighted and annoyed by the multi-directional parkour. But if you want to really go hard on frame rates, you can flip on frame generation on top of the High Performance mode. With FG, I got 211 fps when I doubled back and failed to dodge that stupid Cricket Slasher. And when I got bodied by Abaddon, the RTX 5090 managed a whopping 316 fps. I'd be impressed if I wasn't so furious at that lightning turd. Overall, I'm happy with how Stellar Blade performs with kitted-out hardware. And thankfully, the minimum spec requirements are quite light as well, requiring just a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB GPU. And if you're interested in getting one of the best gaming laptops, you can expect some stellar performance, with or without DLSS 4 black magic. Settings Frames per second TAA 106 fps DLSS: DLAA 92 fps DLSS: DLAA, FG (2x) 141 fps DLSS: DLAA, MFG (4x) 224 fps DLSS: High Performance 128 fps DLSS: High Performance, FG (2x) 211 fps DLSS: High Performance, MFG (4x) 316 fps
Engadget
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Pragmata is a satisfying sci-fi shooter with an intriguing double act
Capcom's odd-couple sci-fi action game, Pragmata , is almost here. At SGF 2025, I finally got to steer Hugh (the human) lumbering around in a military spacesuit, with the adorable android, Diana piggybacking along. First announced in 2020, Pragmata is set on a lunar base, where an industrial mishap turns security droids hostile, while lines of communication back to Earth have been severed. The USP here is how you fight your threats by teaming up with a small synthetic girl who can hack into hostile robots while you shoot away at them with a collection of weapons. Hugh starts off with a simple pistol with unlimited ammo but soon acquires additional firearms, including a shotgun-like energy gun that inflicts severe damage up close and restraining webbing to slow down multiple enemies, giving Diana more time to hack. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. I was intrigued to see how Capcom would balance P ragmata' s gameplay premise of controlling and fighting with both characters. I thought it would involve a lot of tagging between each character, or worse, steering each with a different analog stick. Fortunately, Pragmat a's implementation is an elegant one. The player primarily controls the human, Hugh. While he runs and guns, Diana's powers involve locking onto an enemy and making hacking attacks by navigating a two-dimensional grid with the DualSense's main buttons. Triangle for up, Circle for right .etc. While getting from point A to B inside this grid will 'break' a robot's defenses, you'll want to pass through other nodes on the way, increasing damage and even adding buffs. The limit here is ensuring Hugh remains out of danger long enough to focus on Diana's efforts. Thankfully, Hugh's equipped with dodges and rocket dashes to keep his distance from enemies. Expect to use walls and structures as cover, too, especially when facing multiple enemies at once. It's probably possible to take down enemies without hacking, but it will take a lot more time. Hacking also interrupts the robots' attacks and movement — it's mandatory in most confrontations in Pragmata . The rest of the demo involved exploring the area, releasing multiple locks to progress further into the lunar base. Hugh can jump and boost himself for longer gaps or just some controlled hovering. Pick-ups between battles were mostly health boosts and secondary weapons. Most one-on-one encounters could be dealt with using the low-damage pistol, but when there are two, three, or five enemies, swapping between the slow-down weapons or the powerful shotgun was very much necessary. It's a satisfying battle system, but I'm curious as to how deep this system will go. (Also, I wish I'd got to try some boss battles during the demo.) When Diana hacks and successfully breaks a robot's defenses, certain parts and systems are highlighted in yellow, suggesting possible weak points. It's a little similar to Horizon' s scanning mechanic, and while I couldn't get an answer during my hands-on demo, it'll be interesting to see whether that offers some more depth to combat. I'd appreciate the ability to focus on neutralizing a heavy-duty weapon or slowing an enemy down by aiming at their legs. As the company teased in the latest trailer, Pragmata 's been a long time coming. First revealed in 2020, Capcom is now aiming for a 2026 release.
Gizmodo
10-06-2025
- Gizmodo
If You Own a PS5, the PlayStation DualSense Controller Costs Peanuts on Amazon
If you own a PS5, having multiple controllers is almost a necessity as there's nothing better than sharing your favorite PlayStation games with friends or family in the same room. While it's always wise to have a spare controller ready for multiplayer sessions or simply as a backup for you, genuine discounts on the PlayStation DualSense wireless controller are rare. Even during Black Friday, major promotions were hard to find which makes this moment the perfect opportunity to add another controller to your setup. Right now, the PlayStation DualSense controller is available on Amazon for just $54 which is a substantial 27% off its usual $74 price. This limited-time deal marks an all-time low, so it's an ideal time to buy, especially if you missed out on previous sales. See at Amazon Why We Love It The biggest feature of the DualSense controler is haptic feedback which puts the feel of in-game action and environments right in your hands. Whether you're racing down rough roads, wielding guns or feeling the crash of a collision, the controller's next-gen vibration motors plunge you further into the game. Aside from the haptic feedback, adaptive triggers provide varying levels of force and tension so that you can feel the distinction between drawing back a bowstring or slamming on the brakes in a racing title. They work together to create a feeling of realism and immersion that was not achievable on previous PlayStation controllers. The built-in microphone allows you to chat online without a headset and the 3.5mm audio jack allows you to plug in your favorite headphones for individual use. The create button is convenient to use to capture and stream your most excellent gaming moments in case you're playing with buddies or capturing highlights to playback later. The controller's iconic appearance has been fine-tuned for comfort with enhanced sticks and an intuitive layout that feels great in your hand even after long gaming sessions. DualSense isn't only for PlayStation 5 gamers: With its USB Type-C and Bluetooth connectivity, you can easily play it on Windows desktops and Macs too which gives you even more gaming possibilities outside of the console. Most high-end PC games currently support advanced features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, which lets you experience the same immersive experience playing from your computer. With over 33,000 reviews and a lovely 4.6 out of 5-star rating, the PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller is a proven winner among gamers. Don't hesitate too much: These sales don't come around often, and the stock may not be here. See at Amazon
