DualSense controller for PS5 has excellent haptic feedback for games like Feedback and Demon Souls . But today I found out that it's also good for humming along to Spotify when plugged into a PC.
While browsing Reddit, I came across an old thread from six months ago where a user explained that by plugging in a DualSense and changing a few settings, the built-in haptic motors of the device will do their best to play your music from the Spotify app on Windows 10. Pressing your ear for the controller is like listening to the world's smallest rave, maybe with a few Astro Bots present .
I guess you just ran for your controller to try this - because that's the same reaction I got. Alright, but lower your expectations first before you start. The haptics probably won't wow you, as they aren't suited for this particular use case - that's just for fun!
- Plug your controller into your PC via a USB-C cable and wait for Windows to automatically install the driver.
- Once it's installed, tap the speaker icon near the bottom right corner of your screen where the time is displayed. Set "Speakers (Wireless Controller)" as audio output.
- Open Control Panel and click "Sound". From there, click on your current audio output and select the "Properties" button just below.
- Click "Enhancements", the third tab from the left in the pop-up window. Check the box next to "Speaker Fill", then press "Apply".
- You will need to restart the Spotify app for haptic playback to begin. Once you restart the app, you should be able to feel your music. You might even hear the haptic motors doing their best to play music if you press the DualSense against your ear.
- If you want to actually hear your music, in addition to feeling it haptically, simply plug headphones into the DualSense's 3.5mm jack and the audio will be transmitted. Your audio setup will look a bit silly this way, but who cares?
Here's a track that I think shows the effect well. Click the Spotify logo on the top right of the embed to open the track in the PC app:
