Founder and President of Polyphony Digital Kazunori Yamauchi has spoken more about the next game in the GT series, Gran Turismo 7. Yamauchi’s comments came as part of a PlayStation Blog article focusing on the first official worldwide announcement of the PlayStation 5 console.
The clip, officially called “Play Hat No Limits”, focuses on some of the new features of the PS5. These include the console’s new 3D audio system, powered by a custom sound processor that Sony says is as powerful as the PS4’s full CPU, and aspects of the new DualSense controller. It has no function GT7, or indeed a specific game, but you can watch it below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6AUuRs1A4
We’ve heard a lot about the DualSense controller since Sony unveiled it, well ahead of the PS5’s own discovery. The “sense” part of the name refers to some new technologies, including adaptive triggers and haptic response, allowing players to feel more of the environment through their hands and fingers.
Many of the examples of how this is beneficial have looked at games outside the racing field. Early comments often referred to the feeling of drawing a bow – something you’ll see again in the clip above – and several of the developers speaking on the latest blog post also mention weapons. However, Yamauchi’s thoughts cover how valuable the device will be Gran Turismo 7players:
“I think the most effective use is of the adaptive trigger [in Gran Turismo 7] is for displaying the operation of the anti-lock brake system (ABS) during braking. A typical ABS applies brake pressure from time to time while the driver applies pressure to the pedal. The adaptive trigger is capable of reproducing this pedal feel, and it will allow the player to precisely feel and understand the relationship between the braking force they want and the grip of the tire.
“Compared to the rumble force feedback we’ve had in the past, the special nature of haptic feedback is that it has a wider range of frequencies that it can produce. What this means is that sound design and tactical design can be addressed in a continuous, integrated way. ”
It is certainly an interesting application for the technology, and not very unlike any other use mentioned by Deathloop developer Arkane Studios regarding weapon jamming. Said further, the two triggers could simulate the different weights and pressures required for the accelerator pedal and the brake pedals, just like the pedals on a peripheral wheel.
Also of interest are the studios and games that Sony has chosen for the article. The majority of the games mentioned in the piece will come early in the console’s life, with five of the nine titles on launch day. The exceptions are Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart en Gran Turismo 7, none of them have an official release date yet – which may further suggest that the next Gran Turismo may be just around the corner.
