How Fortnite Uses The PS5 DualSense Controller

Epic Games has shared some new details on the PlayStation 5 version of Fortnite, which will be available when the console releases later this week.

Perhaps the most unique element of Fortnite on PS5 is how the game uses the next-gen console’s DualSense controller. In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Epic said it is using the controller’s adaptive trigger feedback to make the game’s various weapons feel more lifelike in your hands.

“Fortnite will support two kinds of adaptive trigger feedback for ranged weapons: trigger pull feedback and sustained feedback. Weapons that fire once per trigger pull–your Pistols, SMGs, Snipers, Assault Rifles, etc.–will use trigger pull feedback, meaning you’ll feel the authentic resistance of pulling their triggers as you push down the trigger of the DualSense,” Epic said.

For weapons that require the trigger button to be held down before firing, there will be “sustained feedback.” Epic described this like this, “Even as you’re holding the DualSense trigger all the way down, you’ll still feel an authentic sensation of resistance, reminiscent of what it feels like to draw back a bow or keep a Minigun firing.”

In addition to the DualSense controls, Fortnite on PS5 will have upgraded graphics and better frame rates. Here is a rundown of the benefits of Fortnite on PS5, as written by Epic:

• Working with the console’s custom RDNA 2 GPU, we’ve made the next-gen version of Fortnite output at 4K and up to 60 FPS in all game modes on PS5.
• The Zen 2 CPU + expanded memory let us use dynamic visuals and physics to bring even more life to the Fortnite Island. Grass and trees respond to explosions, visual effects for smoke and liquid are enhanced, and there are new effects for clouds and the Storm.
• Our work with PS5’s ultra-high speed SSD has let us dramatically upgrade loading performance, improving texture loading and letting you get into matches much faster.
• Split Screen can be played with higher performance: up to 60 FPS. This is due to our work with the improved CPU, GPU, and memory.

As announced previously, Epic is giving everyone a free item–the Throwback Axe Pickaxe–to celebrate the launch of Fortnite on PS5. This is the very first axe in the game, and you can get it in the Item Shop until January 15, 2021.

Fortnite will also be available on Xbox Series X and S, and it features a big improvement on those consoles, too, with 4K/60FPS support and new storm and cloud effects, among other things.

For more on Fortnite’s impressive-sounding next-gen updates, check out GameSpot’s rundown of all the new features for Fortnite on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Fortnite will be playable for free on PS5 and Xbox Series X when those systems release this week. For more, check out GameSpot’s reviews of the next-gen consoles.