Sony Dualsense Edge PS5 controller review: Unrivaled features (2023)

More than two years after the launch of the PS5, Sony's new DualSense Edge controller offers a premium upgrade over the gamepad included in the console and a rival to Microsoft's Xbox Elite controller. It's a professional, competitive gamepad with rear paddles, fully remappable buttons, adjustable triggers, and interchangeable parts. The Edge costs £210/$200 at launch, so is it worth the premium? And how does it compare to third-party alternatives, not to mention the Xbox Elite Controller? let's find out

First, let's give credit to the original DualSense. The £60/$70 controller has had a spectacular launch, with the included Astro's Playroom game showing off its launch features beautifully, from adaptive triggers and haptic feedback to a speaker, gyrometer and accelerometer. Other titles like Returnal and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart also use hardware resources, but there are also much simpler implementations, like Call of Duty, where pulling the trigger is more of an obstacle to action than an immersive revolution. .

Despite this mixed success in using its more advanced features, the DualSense is also an ergonomically superior controller over its predecessors, and the same is true of the DualSense Edge.

Of course, we wouldn't expect any less from a controller that costs £210, $200 or €240; That's about 3.5 times more expensive than the regular DualSense, so the Edge really has to deliver. Let's take a look at the contents of the box before diving into the highlights and less important aspects.

The Edge comes in a white hard case that complements the PS5 perfectly, with a long braided USB-C cable and a set of spare paddles and joysticks. You can carry the controller in your pocket thanks to a flap on the back with an additional plastic connector that allows you to physically lock the USB cable to the controller, just for reassurance I guess.

As for the Edge controller itself? Well, Sony isn't changing what was already working. The fit and in-hand feel is almost identical to a regular DualSense in terms of dimensions. The handles, the position of the buttons, the position of the levers are exactly the same to the millimeter. Elsewhere, however, there are some subtle improvements, including a heavier weight of 335g compared to the regular DualSense's 280g. The bottom half of the controller is made of gloss black plastic, and the trackpad and buttons are also black. But beyond that? Well, here we begin to see the first news. The main advantages and the corresponding disadvantages.

So the biggest benefit is the interchangeable analog sticks. I'm not just talking about stick tops, although you have three pairs of alternative options, each with a different style. Instead, the entire stick module can be ejected by pulling a release slide on the back, opening the front of the controller, and the entire mechanism can be swapped out. Now stick drift or a completely broken thumbstick can be repaired without having to bundle up an entire controller, although it's a complicated procedure. The DualSense Edge offers a unique solution in this regard. We might even see third-party replacement levers for this thing; For example, Hall Effect joysticks would be great, which are much more durable and therefore can have much tighter dead zones.

This modular approach makes a lot of sense. Don't expect to get your replacement memory modules for free, though: you'll have to pay £20/$20 each, or double that for a pair on Sony's website. And if you're replacing two sticks, you're well on your way to getting a brand new regular DualSense. So if you're buying this primarily for the luxury of interchangeable bars, or to avoid bar deflection, be aware that there is an additional cost involved.

The second benefit of the Edge is that you get shot optimizations for competitive shooters. Two sliders on the back of the controller let you set a physical stopping point for the trigger pull, transforming the full-distance stroke ideal for racing games into a trigger layout better suited for firing guns in game titles. In my experience, however, it's not as tight as it could be: third-party alternatives like the Hex Gaming Rival Pro can only have a 2mm trigger offset and beat the Edge outright. However, the Rival Pro controller is only configured for FPS games, while the Edge gives you the flexibility to play the full range of PS5 titles.

Point number three is perhaps the most transformative upgrade: the rear paddles. Like the Xbox Elite controller, the DualSense Edge has magnetically attached metal buttons on the back that are easily swappable. Two styles, long and short are included in the box and placement wise they fit these replacement ring fingers perfectly. Crucially, they offer all the benefits you would expect from two additional entries; For Elden Ring and other Souls-like titles, this means you no longer have to grab your hand to press the circle button to run while holding down the analog stick to control the camera. With the DualSense Edge, you can easily assign the round "Run" button function to the right rear paddle. Switch item use to the left paddle instead of the square and voila - your right thumb now rarely has to leave the stick in combat, giving you full control.

The ability to remap the paddle buttons is useful, but Sony takes it a step further. A full menu is built into the PS5 interface just for DualSense Edge owners. Here we can remap everything: be it the face buttons, the directional pad or the touchpad inputs. It is possible to completely reinvent the design of each game, like in the Xbox controller menu. We also have full control over the stick calibration via a nifty menu with different speed curves and even per stick adjustable activation dead zones. I have to say that DualSense Edge has a major edge over third-party options when everything is built into the PS5's menus, and again everything is fully remapping. With the press of an FN key on the front of the Edge, you can toggle between three default profiles and settings. Interestingly, there are two FN keys, left and right, to access that extra menu if someone else could have done the trick, so maybe there's an option here to add more profiles depending on which FN key you press.

For all of its massive customization advantages, the DualSense Edge has one clear disadvantage: It only has two rear paddles to work with, compared to four on the Xbox Elite controller and even third-party efforts like the Scuf Relex Pro. Especially in FPS titles like CoD, four rear paddles let you remap all the face buttons so your right thumb never has to leave the joystick. Unfortunately, Edge requires you to choose your two most used actions, so in Modern Warfare 2 I chose Jump and Reload. And despite all the advantages in Elden Ring, it's clear that four buttons would be even better here, maybe even both in addition to the task of changing elements. Again, given its compatibility with the PS5 operating system, the rear paddles appear to be the DualSense Edge's most transformative benefit, but only having two is a little disappointing.

Finally, a note on battery life. The regular DualSense is rated for around 12 to 15 hours, although in my experience that often feels less than that. However, according to Sony's admission, the DualSense Edge has even less battery life. An online teardown (embedded below) confirms exactly why this is also the case. Internally, the Edge appears to have a 1050mAh battery as opposed to the original DualSense's 1560mAh. It's frustrating: the Edge model has incredible flexibility, but it doesn't respond to a major criticism of the standard controller, which is a shame.

Overall, the DualSense Edge has features that are unparalleled in the PS5 controller space. First, there's official OS-level support, allowing full button remapping and granular control over each stick and input. Second, both analog modules in the Edge can be swapped out for new official units at an additional cost. Other great perks include the customizable paddles, analog caps, adjustable trigger offset, and nice hard case. It's a great package. At £210/$200 it's a serious upgrade for enthusiasts.

Did he say that? It's also hard to ignore the downsides. Microsoft's equivalent Elite controller now costs a lot less at £140 to start, and while the Elite doesn't have interchangeable pods, it matches almost every other point of the Edge, also adding four rear paddles. Sony's effort with the Edge is certainly strong, but Microsoft tweaked and perfected its own premium pad years in advance, making it hard to beat.

To summarize this review, I asked Digital Foundry's Will Judd if he could send Edge-like "competitor" options; Luckily it has been testedbest controllerfor some time, including three edge alternatives.

The first is the Scuf Reflex Pro, thecuesta £ 220for PS5 model. (In this case, we have the Xbox "Instinct" model, although the PS5 version works similarly.) In terms of features, you get rubberized grips and four back buttons with custom profiles for button remapping.for £250There's also a more expensive Reflex FPS model that removes adaptive trigger support and replaces both triggers with shorter "instantaneous" inputs. Unfortunately for the PS5 model there doesn't seem to be a way to customize wake styles with a physical switch like you can on the Xbox equivalent. One or the other, depending on the order. So this top of the range is great for shooters, but for full compatibility the Scuf Pro is more flexible. The controller feels good in hand, and there's also an option to choose your own custom skins at a higher price point.

Next is a Megamodz deal (the gold design in the pictures). This "flashy" controller would becosts around $170, but you can customize the controller to your liking. And Megamodz lives up to its name; It's an official DualSense controller at its core, just with every possible mod: customizable shoulder button offsets, dual rear paddles, mechanical face buttons, rapid fire mods, and other cheat options. There are extensive color and theme options too, with full controllers costing upwards of $300. It's still potentially very expensive and difficult to price to the DualSense Edge. But for a personalized touch, Megamodz is an interesting route.

Finally, the Hexgaming Rival Pro in all its 420 glory (also pictured above). Fortunately, other themes are available, and you get Edge-like features for a similar price:200 $. You get several interchangeable joystick covers in the package and four back buttons, all of which can be remapped from the controller itself. There's also 2mm shorter travel for the triggers on this Rival Pro compared to 7mm on a standard DualSense. Again, travel is fixed, so there's no way to tweak it from game to game like the official premium controller.

When you look at the third-party competition, the DualSense Edge really stands out in terms of features for its price. Most alternatives have a unique benefit, like shorter travel, more back keys, but the cost increases accordingly. And it looks like adjustable triggers in the store are also a big demand for third-party PS5 solutions.

That keeps the DualSense Edge in a decent spot I'd say. The original DualSense obviously offers much better value for money and is more than enough for most people, but if you spend a lot of time gaming on the PS5, especially competitive titles, the Edge offers some important advantages as an extra. investments while providing flexibility, repairability, and integration at the operating system level that third-party alternatives cannot match.