Should Sony push developers to use their controller's features more?

[TheMisterManGuy]

The DualShock 4 is one of the most fully featured controllers on any gaming platform. In addition to the standard controller layout. There's a built-in speaker, capacitive clickable touchpad, motion and gyro sensor, and a light bar that can be used in conjunction with the PlayStation Camera for position tracking, and gives visual feedback and player identification.

Despite being jam-packed with features, half of these tools go unutilized by most PS4 games, particularly those from third parties. One would assume it'd be to maintain feature parity with the Xbox One versions of these games, who's controller isn't nearly as decked out. But when the Nintendo Switch versions of Doom and Fortnite support gyro aiming, yet the PS4 versions don't. That's a problem. Sony's first party games are a bit better at this. But even then you have some baffling exceptions. Like why does Days Gone use gyro aiming, yet Horizon doesn't?

So that brings us to DualSense, the PlayStation 5's new controller. With the additions of Advanced haptics, Adaptive triggers, built-in mic. Along with improvements to the Touchpad, speaker, and lightbar. Do you think Sony should try and push developers to make better use of these features, at least in areas where they make sense? The touchpad for example, is actually a great addition to a controller, bringing smartphone like gestures to a console environment, which when done right, is very useful and intuitive. Yet even when it'd make sense, such as navigating a map, most devs don't bother doing anything with it outside of using it as a button. Same with the gyro sensor. It's 2020, and we're STILL forced to use dual analog sticks to aim in shooters, when gyro has long since been proven as the superior aiming option?

I get it, not everything needs gimmicks shoe-horned in where they aren't needed. But Sony should be encouraging the use of these features in practical and useful ways. That's not to say they should force developers, but make sure that it'd be a no brainer to implement these features. I always feel that each new gaming generation, should not only consider improvements to graphics, performance, design, etc. But also to controls and inputs. As great as the standard controller is, there's still always ways to make it better, and that includes new inputs and features.