Microsoft seems to be fishing to see what people want them to focus on.
It was near the end of last year when Sony and Microsoft officially launched us into a new generation of consoles. In many ways, the systems also showed a differing philosophy in how they plan to tackle the market. With the Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft focused heavily on cross-generational material, the ability to play games for extended periods, and forward compatibility with their controllers.
With the PS5, Sony leaned heavily into the idea of generations in their marketing (even if that didn’t pan out in actual practice with their releases), and went for a very different look and presentation versus the PS4. One of the starkest things there was the controller, the biggest redesign Sony has done, the DualSense. It seems Microsoft is curious what you think about that if you got an Xbox, too.
It seems that survey emails for owners of Xbox Series X/S consoles are being sent out. It’s a standard thing, of course, and some of the questions are about what you expect: how are you feeling about the system, are you stratified with certain aspects, etc. However, there are some standout ones that may catch your eye. One of which is whether or not your system “feels next gen.” It’s a bit of an odd question, and there’s no real elaboration on what that means. It could be targeted at people who were disappointed at the lack of a big next gen-only title, such as Demon’s Souls on the PS5 side.
Maybe the most interesting one is that the survey actively asks if you are familiar with the DualSense controller features. Sony’s new controller features a more advanced version of rumble called haptic feedback as well as adaptive triggers that can add resistance . Both of those have been adapted in various games, with most people praising it, even Phil Spencer seemed to be a fan. The question also asks if you’d like to see those brought over to Xbox as well. Nobody on our end received one as of yet, but the folks at Techradar have a copy of the whole thing.
Like many of these additions, it’s hard to say how much staying power the DualSense stuff has in the end, but if they do end up being mainstays, it’s not hard to imagine Microsoft either revising the base controller or releasing a snazzy alternative. If you happened to get a Series X or S and want to see those features, keep your eyes peeled for the surveys to let Microsoft know.
