You Should Stop Using The Microphone On Your PS5 DualSense Controller - Here's Why

Microphones in gaming systems have been a familiar feature since the innovative Nintendo DS. With it, the outlandish feature was used to do things like blow objects on the screen in WarioWare Touched! using puffs of actual air. Now, the function is advanced enough to allow for communication between players. On PlayStation 5, though, it might be best to avoid doing so as much as possible.

The DualSense controller is very advanced, and titles like Astro's Playroom were tailor-made to show off its unique abilities. From its adaptive triggers to haptic feedback, the controller makes the player a part of the on-screen action, but there's one notable drawback. By default, use of the microphone automatically reduces the impact of some of these features.

The DualSense controller's microphone allows players to talk to others in their game or party, without the need for other peripherals. While this doesn't compare to having an additional dedicated device, it's nice to have as a default, and it also allows supported games to transmit their own sounds to the player. The player, during an in-game phone call, may receive the response through the controller rather than the TV, for instance. It's just another handy option the controller offers, like PC connectivity.

Here's how the microphone feature affects these things, and how to circumvent the problem.

Use of this handy feature, nonetheless, can have a detrimental effect in certain areas. While the controller's microphone is in use, haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers are automatically reduced to their lowest setting, according to Make Use Of. These settings are adjusted through the Accessibility menu's Vibration Intensity and Trigger Effect Intensity options respectively, both of which can be set to Off, Weak, Medium, and Strong as the user prefers. Within these menu settings, the PS5 notes that "If you use a headset or mute the microphone, the intensity selected here will be applied."

To mute that little microphone, which activates by default, PlayStation offers a convenient fire-and-forget solution. Users need only open the Settings menu, select Sound, then Microphone, and opt for Mute from the Microphone Status When Logged In tab.

For some players, of course, this is a non-issue, as they may have both of these features switched off or set to Weak anyway. Those who frequently engage in voice chat and have both set to Strong (as is the default for the PS5), though, are advised to do as the system suggests. It's always recommended to take the time to be sure your PS5 controller is updated and working the way you want.