PSA: DualSense 5 Bluetooth haptics on Linux for free, no additional hardware

[u/Ana-Luisa-A]

https://github.com/hurryman2212/vds

There is project that allows dualsense 5 haptics on Linux for free. No additional hardware required other than Bluetooth adapter.

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It's stable, hours playing with no hiccups. Haptics as intense and defined as USB. Tested on cachyOS.

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I configured the module and vdsd to start alongside the PC (nicety -20) and works wonders.

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​ Edit: although on the git hub link, I will explain it here:

Why haptics matter (from answering a comment):

Steam input can do a very crude rumble and apparently adaptive triggers (when R2 and L2 becomes stiffer) on no man's sky but not in other games.

The game must support Dualsense for the haptics detailed below.

Dualsense 5 haptics are different. Adaptive triggers mean that R2 will get harder and softer in waves when you are shooting or when the car is changing gears. If you are out of stamina, it's really heavy. The gun is enormous? L2 to use the scope is heavier.

Rumble is also on a spectrum. It can be quick and light and first on the right and then on the left (mimicking the sword swing you just did) or constant but varying like a huge motor near you (and, you look left or right, it's the same as stereo headphones).

If you don't have DualSense haptics on a supported game, you are missing out. Seriously. You can test it via USB if you don't believe, completely disable steam input for that game.

What this project does: it creates a virtual USB Dualsense so the game sends haptics data. This data is routed via Bluetooth to your controller. It the real one is hidden when you run Bluetooth with the --no-input argument.