The Last of Us Part 1 using DualSense, 3D audio for PS5 tech showcase

The Last of Us Part 1 looks set to be a real showcase game for the PS5, and not just graphically, but also in how Naughty Dog plan to takes advantage of key features like the DualSense controller's haptic feedback.

As one of Sony’s flagship PlayStation Studios, Naughty Dog have often been the standard-bearer of the technological advancements and experiments that come with each PlayStation console. Now, for its third console outing in three generations, it appears The Last of Us Part 1 will carry the responsibility of showcasing all that the latest PlayStation console has to offer.

The Last of Us Part 1 uses Adaptive Triggers, 3D Audio and more

If you start getting tired, that thunderstorm is sure to jolt you wide awake.

As we’ve learned from the PlayStation Direct store page, The Last of Us Part 1 will use a wide array of the PS5’s technological offerings, with perhaps the most interesting being the use of haptic feedback via the DualSense controller to deliver not only the sensation of firing weapons and loosing bow strings, but also more cinematic and environmental details such as the “sensation of falling rain.”

While the haptics may help relieve some pressure by simulating the soothing rain, the DualSense will also literally apply pressure by using its adaptive triggers to simulate the trigger resistance of weapons like Joel’s revolver and Ellie’s bow. To players of the original game, this one will likely make a lot of sense, as the scarcity of ammo was pressure enough to make each pull of the trigger feel weighty and costly — adding physical resistance to that act should certainly make the cost of each spent resource register clear in the player’s mind.

Other features include Naughty Dog’s use of ‘Tempest 3D AudioTech’ to deliver "richer soundscapes" via the PS5’s 3D audio compatibility, which we’re sure Sony wish to draw attention to with its new line of 3D audio-enhanced headsets and monitors on the way. Lastly, we’re reminded that the game will feature ‘near instant’ loading, something we would likely have expected, but always great to see more games following in the footsteps of fast loading games like Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart.

We've come quite some way from having to suddenly sit up straight to avoid plunging Drake to his death.

These new technological features should hopefully feel a little less gimmicky than a number of Naughty Dog’s previous forays with PlayStation advancements. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was likely the greatest victim in the company’s backlog with its PS3 Sixaxis motion control log balancing and grenade lobbing. Though let’s not forget that motion controls made it to the original The Last of Us too. Players would have to mundanely shake the controller to bring Joel’s flashlight back to life — a feature that even made it into The Last of Us Remastered.

Speaking of the remaster, a number of the PS4’s gimmicks also crept into the second outing for The Last of Us. The DualShock 4’s touchpad was used to navigate inventory, the light bar would indicate your failing health, and audio logs were played through the controller’s speaker. Granted, these features were a lot less invasive than motion controls, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the vast majority of these make their way over to The Last of Us Part 1.

What do you think about the remake’s new features? Do you think they’ll add to the experience, or are you more likely to find them a little distracting? Let us know in the comments below!

Written by Lee Brady

Staff Writer Lee keeps one eye on the future (Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth), one eye on the past (PS Plus Premium, recent Sony news), and his secret third eye on the junk he really likes (Sonic Superstars, Final Fantasy 16). Then he uses his big mouth to blurt out long-winded opinions about video games.