Housemarque's Saros Game Highlights PlayStation 5 DualSense Features

The game Saros, developed by Housemarque, is set to launch on April 30. It begins with text appearing on screen, accompanied by haptic vibrations in the DualSense controller for each letter. This approach aims to immerse players through tactile feedback from the outset.

Housemarque, a Finnish studio owned by Sony, previously released Returnal in 2021 as a PlayStation 5 launch title. That game utilized the console's haptic and adaptive trigger features. Gregory Louden, creative director at Housemarque, stated that both projects involved pressure to demonstrate the hardware's capabilities.

incorporates haptic feedback for actions such as shooting weapons, shielding from attacks, and subtler elements like cinematic tension. It also employs 3D audio to enhance the game's environment. Matti Häkli, associate design director at Housemarque, said the team created custom haptic responses beyond basic audio-driven vibrations to provide meaningful feedback.

Louden added that these features foster a deeper emotional connection in gameplay. The studio aimed to advance the use of PlayStation 5 hardware compared to Returnal. Similar implementations appear in other Sony-published titles, including Horizon: Forbidden West, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and Astro Bot.

Many games are developed for multiple platforms, and players often use third-party controllers lacking full DualSense compatibility. Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, noted that while these features are improvements, their limited use across games reduces incentive for adoption.

A Sony representative declined to provide data on user engagement with DualSense enhanced features. Housemarque developers remain positive about Saros potentially inspiring others. Häkli stated that underutilized controller innovations risk disappearing, and the team committed to maximizing these capabilities.

The game is described as a dark sci-fi roguelike involving combat against aliens.