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What do PS5 adaptive triggers actually do? This short video will show you

(Image credit: Sony PlayStation)

It's hard to get a good idea what the PS5 adaptive triggers feel like without holding a DualSense controller yourself, but this new Reddit video will get you most of the way there.

  • If you're still trying to find one yourself, stay tuned to our guide on where to buy a PS5
The best video example of the adaptive triggers I could come up with. from r/PS5

Reddit user TyMiles2018 uploaded a brief video which shows them playing Astro's Playroom on a TV in the background and holding their DualSense controller sideways in the foreground. When they press R2 to fire Astro's balloon-launching machine gun, you can see how the adaptive trigger starts jumping: it rapidly alternates the resistance required to hold the trigger down, which mimics the sort of wild kickback a giant water balloon launcher might impose on its cute little robot wielder.

If the effect seems like too much, check our guide on how to turn off PS5 adaptive triggers and haptic feedback.

It's a lot easier to show off what better graphics and higher framerates look like, but these are the kinds of features that really get me excited about a new console launch - the stuff that makes a subtle but profound impact on not just what you play but how you play it. Admittedly, we now have to wait and see if developers will keep supporting this cool PS5-exclusive feature months and years into the console's lifespan. I also left my 3DS' 3D effect on full blast the entire time because I thought it was freaking incredible and that feature didn't quite become a games industry standard, so I might not be the bellwether here.

Regardless of how widely supported the PS5 adaptive triggers are down the line, they're clearly a lot of fun to play with in Astro's Playroom - and it's bundled free with every console, so you can't lose.

See what else is on the way with our guide to upcoming PS5 games.

Connor Sheridan