STACK #255 January 2026

GAMING FEATURE

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Settings/Accessories/Controller (General) Another handy juice saver is setting the DualSense to turn off after a specified time. Settings/System/Power Saving/Set Time Until Controllers Turn Off Resistance is sometimes useless Further to the above tip, some games simply don’t need the triggers to offer resistance. This is something that finally dawned on us after getting tennis elbow (seriously!) from playing too much Pinball FX with the triggers at their standard ‘Strong’ setting... So, for games where it isn’t needed, set Trigger Effect Intensity to ‘Off’ and save your elbows! Shortcuts! They aren’t huge time savers, but you can flit around the PS5 home screen a little quicker by pressing triangle to jump straight to the search bar, and L1 and R1 to go straight to the Games and Media tabs. Silence! You’re likely well aware that a tap of the mic mute button does exactly that. But you can also hold it down for a few seconds to mute the entire PS5 – it’ll stop sending sound to your screen as well.

The PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller is capable of more than meets the eye. So, we’ve compiled ten tips that you may or may not know about this wonderful device. Words Amy Flower Bluetooth pairing DUALSENSE DYK?

White lights This is a little one, but it’s cool. When you’re playing with others and you have multiple DualSense controllers running, have you noticed

One of the many joys of the DualSense is that you can use it as a controller on pretty much anything Bluetooth that supports a game controller – PC, Mac, Android, and iOS devices, even the PS3 – although strangely not the PS4. But there’s no pairing button – hmm… So, to put your DualSense into pairing mode, you just need to hold down the PlayStation logo button and the Create button (above and to the right of the directional buttons) together for a few seconds until the controller’s lights flash blue.

Also, did you know that if you press and hold the Create button it takes a screenshot, and if you tap it twice it saves a video of your recent gameplay? Quick controller shutdown If you want to turn your controller off quick smart, rather than faffing through menus, just hold down the PlayStation logo button for around ten seconds. Bam! This is especially useful if you have your DualSense connected to a device other than a PS5, as it’s really the only way to turn it off.

that under the touchpad, the number of lit white lights indicates which player is assigned to that controller? How touching! When typing messages, entering passwords, or anything involving text entry, hold your finger on the trackpad and a circle will appear, allowing you to move about like, well, a trackpad. If you’re thinking, or even saying, ‘Well, duh!” currently, did you know that you can also hold down L3 and R3 together here to kick it into a Wii-like mode? Yep, move the controller around and an onscreen cursor follows your movements.

Button assignment A neat ability that can really help in certain games, or for some players just generally, is the ability to remap each of the DualSense controller’s buttons. You can even flip the left and right thumbsticks should you find that more convenient. Settings/Accessibility/Controllers/Create Button Assignments for DualSense Wireless Controller/ Enable Custom Button Assignments/Customise Button Assignments

More juice! With all the power of the DualSense comes great ability for the battery to drain quickly. However, there are ways to extend the life of your charge if you’re in for a long-haul session. Popping into settings, lowering both the vibration and trigger intensity is a good start, as is lowering the brightness of the controller light. Also, turning off the controller speaker if you’re using a headset is another clever tweak.

Look closely... If you happen to have a microscope handy, take a close look at the textured grip on your DualSense. It’s actually made up of teeny-tiny PlayStation triangle, circle, cross, and square symbols!

32 JANUARY 2026

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