PlayStation is about to drop a system update beta that’s going to make using its controller on other devices much easier. You no longer have to go through the process of pairing your controller every time you decide to use your PC or Mac.
Now, the DualSense and DualSense Edge wireless controllers are more like multi-platform devices. You’ll be able to register up to four devices with a single controller, and switching between them is done through your controller, so you may move onto a new device in seconds.
To get your controller set up with multiple devices, you’ll assign a device to one of four slots by pressing a combination of the PS button and one of the action buttons (triangle, circle, cross, or square). Just make sure your USB cable is disconnected if it’s plugged in, and that the light bar and player indicator on your controller are off. If they’re on, just press and hold the PS button until they turn off.
Once that’s done, you just have to press and hold one of the action buttons again, along with the PS button, for about five seconds. You’ll know you’ve done it right when the light bar and player indicator flash twice. After that, it’s just a matter of turning on Bluetooth on your desired device and selecting your controller from the detected devices. The light bar will then light up, and the player indicator will blink according to the slot number you’ve assigned.
When you want to switch, just make sure the device you’re connecting to is turned on. Then, whether your controller is on or off, you simply press and hold one of the assigned action buttons and the PS button for about three seconds. When the light bar and player indicator start blinking, you may release both buttons. The light bar will light up, and the player indicator will blink according to the slot number of the device you’re connecting to.
I hope the Xbox does something like this because it feels so simple but solves a big problem. Just remember that this is still in beta, so it will be some time before it rolls out to everyone.
Along with this great controller update, Sony is also bringing a new feature called “Power Saver for Games”. When enabled, supported PS5 games will scale back performance, which means your PS5 will reduce its power consumption. In other words, your game won’t run at its peak ability, so your console doesn’t use as much electricity.
Sony DualSense Controller
Keep in mind that using it will turn off VR and limit the gameplay features of many games. Not every game will support it on release, and it’s limited to invitees-only while it’s in beta. Either way, don’t worry, because this is an optional setting, so it won’t affect you if you don’t want to use it.
