Alongside the PS5, which brought a serious upgrade to PlayStation’s ability to run great games, came the DualSense, which aimed to change how we interacted with them, making the entire thing a kind of two-way street.
Its haptics were designed for immersion, being able to simulate a range of different surfaces. weapons, and other effects, while its triggers would adapt to what was in your hands on-screen, making for a controller that feels like it’s a part of the game along with you. The touchpad and speaker made a very welcome return from the PS4, too. However, not all games make use of the DualSense’s immersive capability.
And yet, others do, with some very nice results. If you’re looking to find a few titles that do the DualSense justice, we’ve got a few great ones for you. Let’s get started.
1. Ghost of Yotei
As a PS5 exclusive, Atsu’s revenge-fueled rampage across Ezo was bound to make use of the DualSense in some form. The guiding wind was already mapped to the touchpad, as were a couple of key functions. But having players swipe across the touchpad to navigate their shamisens, or actually move and tilt their controllers to cook over a campfire, were fantastic touches that brought a layer of realism to the open-world and its activities.
Even building a campfire was cleverly implemented here. While we would have liked the haptics and adaptive triggers to really come alive during the game’s combat, they do a decent job overall. This one’s a great choice if you’d like your DualSense to really come along with you for the ride.
2. Astro Bot
Team Asobi’s platformer was so rooted in PlayStation history and put so much into the DualSense that there’s an Astro Bot-themed one all on its own. The haptics made surfaces like sand and metal come alive, the motor’s intensity pulsing ever so differently and giving a distinct feel to each one.
There were even different trigger responses on various power-ups. Suction devices made the triggers actually push against your fingers, simulating a device that was slowly filling up. The boxing gloves made them click satisfactorily in place, making it feel like you were landing punches yourself. We could go on, but you get the idea. This love letter to PlayStation is a logical choice for those of you who want to enjoy everything the DualSense has to offer.
3. Gran Turismo 7
As a racing sim that takes itself quite seriously, it only makes sense, then, that Gran Turismo 7 made use of every tool in its arsenal to improve player experience. If you’re thinking that it’s good news for PS5 players thanks to the DualSense, you already know what to expect.
But it’s hard to describe how each car’s engine brings a subtle, yet obvious shift in the haptic feedback you get, while bumps in the road or changes to your tire’s grip come right back to you as you attempt harder turns. The adaptive triggers do well to shift the weight of your brake pedals between cars, and even simulate ABS-assisted braking. It’s a long list, but definitely worth discovering for its visuals and authentic gameplay alongside its DualSense integration.
4. STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
The PS5 version of GSC’s long-awaited addition to the STALKER franchise does interesting things with the DualSense. For starters, the developers have discussed their use of the adaptive triggers at length, highlighting how the weapon enthusiasts on the team ensured that each gun’s heft and distinct features were translated well into the triggers.
All of the game’s radio chatter is routed through the DualSense’s speaker, while the haptics have been trained to simulate a variety of different, varied surfaces across The Zone’s many biomes. In a game that’s as immersive as STALKER 2, the PS5 version is the one to beat, and the DualSense is a major part of that distinction.
5. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
As if bringing Peter Parker and Miles Morales together as dual protagonists wasn’t enough, Insomniac decided to make the DualSense feel alive in your hands as you zipped around the city, a ray-traced reflection of Spidey coming back at you to remind you that this one was a next-gen game at the time.
Of course, the DualSense played its part, its haptics simulating the feel of the wind on your web wings, or the adaptive triggers suitably seizing up as Spidey gathered the initial burst of force he needed for his next launch. Personally, the first time trying to glide along on water was among the best ways to feel the controller’s haptics at work. This one’s definitely worth checking out on the whole and as a showcase for the DualSense.
6. Horizon Forbidden West
Another great PS5 exclusive, this one is another great use case for the DualSense’s unique feature set. For starters, the controller’s integration into the gameplay loop is done so subtly, you might barely notice it’s there at the outset. But you’re soon going to be looking for ways to fire up the haptics by your in-game actions, and that’s where the fun begins.
You begin to notice the ever-so-slight vibrations of the blades of long grass you use to remain unseen, or the way a fall from a high place makes the controller tell you quite directly that it was a bad idea. It’s in the way that different strokes in the water as you swim evoke different responses from your controller, even as the triggers make each weapon feel distinctly different. This is one that you have to check out for yourself, and it’s a great game, too.
7. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Hideo Kojima’s 2025 masterpiece needs no introduction, but Sam Porter’s latest adventure does bring some interesting, DualSense-focused touches to the table. It essentially made the controller feel like an extension of Sam and the player, with every texture the character stepped across making the controller come alive just a bit differently in our hands.
The triggers made us feel the weight of his cargo when he handled it, even as every drop of rain from a Timefall occurring around us gave a sense of foreboding, thanks to the DualSense making us uncomfortably aware that time was of the essence. It’s brilliant stuff, and perhaps an indicator of even better things to come for the controller in the near and distant future.
8. The Last of Us Part I
This remake of Naughty Dog’s original 2013 classic did very well to make good use of the Dualsense to elevate an experience that was so familiar it ran the risk of feeling dated. Guns and Ellie’s bow are suitably different in your hands thanks to the triggers, while the haptics add to the tension you feel when you’re navigating the environments that cause it.
They’re also a part of some of the story’s most important moments, bringing a subtle yet fresh touch to those scenes in a way that wasn’t possible at the time of the game’s development. If you’re a fan and would like to experience the original adventure in a fresh new way, the DualSense is going to help with that.
9. Dead Space Remake
Returning to the USG Ishimura with a DualSense in our hands made for an interesting time when we tried this one out. The plasma rifle suddenly felt all the more satisfying to use, the haptic feedback from each shot working well with the visuals of a terrifying enemy being put down in front of you.
Every step with your magnetic boots is sent back to you via the haptics, while the triggers do well to make each weapon feel distinct enough that you might even tell them apart with your eyes closed once you spend enough time with them. If you have the stomach for some scares, give this one a go.
10. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Cloud Strife’s revamped tangle with Shinra in this continuation of the story from Remake came with excellent implementations of the DualSense’s haptics and triggers. They did well to add the usual immersive layers we’ve come to expect to the game’s combat and exploration, but they were also neatly tied into the story and a few minigames, too.
Rebirth is a great example of how the DualSense could be woven into a game’s narrative cutscenes as well, while also being a part of more than just combat and a way to simulate the texture of the ground under a player’s feet. This one’s a no-brainer on the controller front, and you’re likely going to enjoy it on its own merits as well.
11. Alan Wake 2
This one’s probably our favorite one of the lot. There’s a case to be made for combining a controller like the DualSense and a game that’s as atmospheric as this one. While the visuals could take a while to praise considering how great they look on a PS5, having the DualSense add-on to that immersion is a great way to enjoy an experience that’s already among the finest ones you can find.
From the way the rain patters down around you while the controller gently vibrates to make you feel like a few drops caught you instead, to how a shotgun and crossbow feel castly different thanks to the triggers working very well to make that so, this is a game you’re going to find excuses to replay once you finish it for the first time.
12. Black Myth Wukong
You’re going to appreciate the DualSense’s role in this one right off the bat. Fighting the several bosses throughout the game brings the controller alive, with each blow you fend off, making it rumble in your hands. But Wukong also weaves in other subtle touches to its gameplay loop that make it worthwhile to play on a PS5 (or a PC with a DualSense if that’s your thing).
From resistance to your staff to the build-up of spells, the adaptive triggers are always looking for ways to differentiate your gear, while the haptics do a great job of simulating different occurrences and, of course, making combat come to life. Tracing the steps of the protagonist is certainly a task worthy of the DualSense.
13. Deathloop
Deathloop is a solid example of the DualSense being used effectively across the board in a video game. The haptics are woven into your exploration loop, effectively making each surface you walk across feel as it should in the real world, while the triggers differentiate your weapons very well indeed.
But integrating the haptics into cutscenes made for an experience that was all the more engaging as a result, adding weight to the moments where the developers wanted it. Take the DualSense along to Blackreef, and you’re not going to be disappointed.
14. Stray
We can’t help but feel like this one was made for the DualSense and not the other way around. The controller feels like such an important part of this surreal adventure, coming alive with every purr your feline protagonist makes. The triggers make you appreciate why cats like to scratch things so much.
Our favorite use of the controller was at resting points, where watching your kitty cat take a well-served nap comes with the bonus of having the controller mimic its breathing in a way that’s as satisfying as it is adorable. This is one of the more innovative uses of the DualSense on our list, and perhaps a very innovative experience on its own.
15. Baldur’s Gate 3
Larian did well to translate its UI over from a keyboard and mouse to a controller, its radial menus offering players a lot of options as they navigated the many mysteries and adventures of Faerun in this very memorable take on Dungeons & Dragons.
The triggers did well to bring that shift to life, with varying amounts of pressure controlling the behavior of radial menus in the game. The light bar on the DualSense switches colors depending on the spell you’re casting, while the haptics rumble away at the appropriate times to make things interesting. It’s surely worth a shot, especially with official modding support from Larian for the PS5 thrown into the mix.
And that’s a wrap on games that are best enjoyed on the PS5, thanks to how the DualSense makes them even better. Here’s to many more on the horizon.
