The PlayStation 5 is only set to be launched towards the end of the year, but we get to see the DualSense controller for the next-generation console in action much earlier. In a hands-on session with Geoff Keighley – the man behind The Game Awards – he demonstrated the features of the DualSense in a demo of Astro’s Playroom.

In fact, Astro’s Playroom will be pre-installed on all PlayStation 5 systems as a sort of “orientation” for the DualSense controller. It’s meant to show off what the new controller is capable of, including the new adaptive triggers, improved haptic feedback system – which should be more refined than the DualShock 4’s vibration motor – and even the built-in microphone.

Surprisingly enough, in the hands-on session, it’s the integrated speaker of the DualSense that impressed Keighley quite a bit. According to him, the speaker quality is noticeably better than the one in the DualShock 4. He added that the DualSense’s speaker feels like it has much more range, with more variety in the types of sound that it can produce.

Of course, in the demo of Astro’s Playroom, Keighley also had a chance to feel how the DualSense’s new adaptive triggers work. He “never felt something like this before,” and it seems to be possible to feel the tension of the in-game spring-loaded frog suit as he pushes down on the L2 and R2 triggers. Keighley mentioned that the new adaptive triggers are programmable as well, though it remains to be seen to what extent.

As for the physical characteristic of the DualSense itself, it does look noticeably bigger than the DualShock 4 when they are next to each other. On top of that, Keighley also said that the new controller is noticeably heavier. The DualSense “has more heft to it in a good way,” he elaborated.

Beyond the DualSense controller, Keighley also interviewed the head of marketing for PlayStation, Eric Lempel, to get some information on the PlayStation 5. Not surprisingly, no major news were shared, though Lempel did mention that pre-orders for the console will be announced ahead of time, and that new colour options for the system and controller will be talked about “at some point.”

This is the very first time we got to see an extensive look at how the DualSense controller works, and it’s certainly building up anticipation for the PlayStation 5. Hopefully, more details will be revealed in the near future ahead of the system’s release by the end of the year. Given that the DualSense controller has already been certified by SIRIM, there’s a chance Malaysia will be one of the first markets to receive the next-generation console.