One of the PS5’s best features is being tested for iPhone and iPad

iPhone and iPad users might be about to get a gaming upgrade, courtesy of one of the PS5’s most interesting features.

As part of the iOS 15.4 beta, MacRumors has uncovered an upgrade that will see the PS5 DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers become compatible with iPhone and iPad apps. On the PS5, this feature allows differing levels of tension to be applied to the triggers, making them slightly more difficult to press in at certain points during a game for a more immersive experience. Think of the tension of a taut bowstring, for instance, and you get the effect that’s being generated.

Though you can already pair a PS5 DualSense controller with an iPhone or iPad, the iOS devices don’t have support for the pad’s more advanced features, such as those adaptive triggers and the subtle details of the haptic feedback rumble functionality built into the controller. Apple also sells Sony’s controller direct, so it’s clear the company likes the PS5 pad. 

On top of that, the update will introduce a slew of new emoji, from salutes to kidney beans, as well as improvements to the Face ID facial recognition unlock system that will make it work better for glasses wearers and those wearing face masks as the Covid-19 pandemic rolls on.

Pads primed for streaming

Though its App Store has now long been a popular destination for casual gamers, recent years have seen Apple finally recognizing the so-called hardcore gamer with its courting of top-tier development talent for the Apple Arcade subscription service, and increased third-party controller peripheral support from the likes of Sony.

But the inclusion of adaptive trigger support is an interesting one here. Who does it really serve at the moment? With the DualSense controller being an option rather than a must-have peripheral for iPad and iPhone games designed natively for iOS devices are unlikely to feature adaptive trigger control – there’s little point investing development resources into a feature that you can’t guarantee many people will have, for instance.

So the suggestion here then is that there is recognition from Apple that streaming is going to be an incredibly major part of on-the-go play on its devices in the future, and that on the PS5’s Remote Play front, at the very least, those triggers will be an important, perhaps even necessary, part of the experience.

Is this beta feature a precursor to the full gamut of DualSense features coming to the PS Remote Play app for iOS? That’s hard to say – even beta features have the possibility to be dropped before a full official release iOS release. But it’s recognition at least of the growing number of PS5 owners, and their desire to have an analogous experience between home-console and mobile play.

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