Hands-on with Sony’s DualSense Edge, the $200 PS5 gamepad

How do you construct a greater controller than the most effective gamepad that’s come alongside in years? Sony’s technique with the DualSense Edge — arriving January 26th for $199.99 — was familiarity. Instead of adjusting how buttons really feel or the place they’re situated, Sony’s designers took a completely additive method, making a extremely configurable model of its unique PS5 controller that does extra whereas feeling virtually an identical.

The Edge is similar measurement, the identical form, and has the identical buttons and joysticks so far as my fingers can inform. Only now, you get two sorts of rear paddles, adjustable hair triggers, swappable stick tops (together with the basic PlayStation domes), the flexibility to remap nearly each button on the controller and regulate joystick sensitivity curves, new devoted perform keys to hot-switch profiles, and — get this — toolless quick-swap stick modules so you may change a damaged joystick in 30 seconds flat.

I spent two hours at PlayStation’s US headquarters making an attempt the entire above, and until there are hidden flaws or the battery runs out mid-session, I’m fairly positive this would be the greatest PS5 controller you should buy for $200.

Let’s go down the options one after the other. I’ll inform you what I preferred — and the place I nonetheless need extra.

In case you missed my story in February 2021, I’ll catch you up: each Sony DualSense controller is roofed in 40,000 tiny PlayStation symbols. They’re what you’re feeling once you maintain a PS5 gamepad, and right here, they really feel even higher as a result of those underneath your fingertips are made to be grippier. The triggers are actually stippled with the PlayStation symbols for added buy, the touchpad’s dappled with them, too, and — like rivals on this worth tier — the within grips are rubber as a substitute of plastic.

I don’t assume the DualSense Edge really appears to be like higher than the unique as a result of I choose the unique white buttons, and I’m not a fan of the brand new shiny, fingerprint-magnet plate atop the analog sticks. But it instantly feels higher, and which means far more to me.

Kudos to Vjeran for capturing the symbols in these photographs — I actually wouldn’t have been in a position to do them justice alone.

Whether you liked or hated the DualSense’s buttons and joysticks, it’s best to know they largely haven’t modified mechanically. I introduced alongside my PS5 launch controller from house and Sony offered one other, and the one discernible distinction I might really feel with the DualSense Edge was that the sound of urgent a button was barely deadened. Perhaps they’re extra exact, however I couldn’t inform in my demos.

What jazzed me, although, is that you would be able to now rip off the caps of your joysticks to swap in an old-school convex dome as a substitute, identical to the sticks that shipped along with your PS3, PS2, and later PS1s. The Edge comes with 4 of them at two totally different heights, although I’m positive I’d solely use one — I’m completely going to run a Frankenstein setup with one convex cap and one concave one for comfortable motion and precision aiming on the similar time.

The triggers, after all, now have three setpoints — and I shortly discovered myself having fun with hair triggers in Call of Duty, the place time to set off is clearly crucial. While setting the set off for a shorter throw does disable Sony’s superior “adaptive trigger” characteristic that makes use of tiny motors and a worm drive to generate an actual sense of pressure and resistance, you may simply get it again by setting the triggers to a full throw once more. It’s your selection.

Plus, you may program each set off’s endzones to nonetheless many levels you want in order for you sooner response with out altering their bodily profile.

The paddles are model new for Sony, however if you happen to’ve ever touched an Xbox Elite controller, you most likely know what they’re like — good, inflexible, cool to the contact scoops of steel that relaxation underneath your fingers, which might simply be dropped into the again of your gamepad or yanked if you happen to’re frightened they’ll get in the best way. You additionally get a pair of little half-dome paddles that positively keep out of your method on the threat of requiring you to achieve for them (or relaxation your center fingers on them) when it’s time to duck, roll, bounce, or no matter else you map there.

When it involves these joysticks, I’m actually impressed with how really straightforward they’re to swap. It does take a small quantity of fingernail to achieve the recessed sliding button to pop off the duvet, however then it’s only a flick of a steel lever and the joystick module pulls proper out. It’s unbelievable to assume you’ll be capable of repair a damaged or drifting stick for $20 by shopping for a brand new module at retail, no transport required, and there’s area within the case to hold an additional, too.

Me, I want Sony had chosen Hall Effect sensor joysticks to start with so drift will never be a problem. (The Sega Dreamcast had them 23 years in the past.) Alas, Sony tells me you’re nonetheless getting potentiometer-based joysticks right here, and it wouldn’t even start to speak about the potential of further elements for the Edge. I’d prefer to see Hall Effect modules and a few totally different stick tops, too.

You can map nearly each button on this controller to every other button — save the touchpad and system keys like PlayStation and Share, all of which you’ll no less than flip off to keep away from any butterfingers incidents. You may even disable the beginning / choices button and put it on, say, a meaty press of your proper analog stick with keep away from by chance evoking a sport menu. And, you may regulate the complete response curve of your joysticks, and set their interior deadzone, plus decrease your controller’s haptic suggestions if it’s throwing you off your sport.

Why deviate from the norm? Any variety of causes, and Sony makes it straightforward to experiment for your self by letting you bounce from a sport immediately into controller profile programming and instantly again once more, and you may immediately swap again to default controls anytime you need. When I let chaos prevail by swapping my D-pad and face buttons, that got here in actual useful.

Swapping profiles is as straightforward as holding down both of the 2 new Function keys beneath the analog sticks after which tapping a face button. You can have three customized profiles saved to the controller at a time, plus the default PlayStation controls, every mapped to one of many controller’s Cross-Square-Triangle-Circle face buttons for simple entry. There’s even a easy LED sample beneath the touchpad that can assist you know which profile you’re on, although its easy 1-4 dot readout most likely isn’t a adequate reminiscence support for me.

I made a decision I wished a slow-moving sniper profile and a quick-response shotgun one in Modern Warfare II, however I didn’t must pause my sport to change: Fn + Square and Fn + X let me hot-swap between them so I might change my playstyle as quickly as I picked a unique weapon up off the bottom.

You can save a complete of 30 totally different profiles in your console, however you don’t want to go away them there — Sony imagines you would take the DualSense Edge to a event, plug it in along with your bundled USB cable, and have your three saved profiles able to go within the controller’s inner reminiscence.

And Sony confirms to me that you would be able to take them to PC, too — as lengthy the sport and / or sport platform assist them, which could take just a little work because it isn’t precisely the identical as a DualSense. “Existing PC games that support the DualSense wireless controller today can also support the DualSense Edge wireless controller through a developer-implemented update. Please stay tuned for more information as we are working with our development partners,” reads a part of a press release through PlayStation spokesperson Ken Zhang.

As customizable as it’s, I really feel like Sony’s simply scratching the floor right here. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the Steam Deck, however for me, a totally customizable controller is one that allows you to map a number of buttons to every button, allows you to set turbo buttons, program multistep macros, and add gyroscopic aiming to any sport. The Steam Deck is my favourite place to play Genshin Impact now, streaming from my PS5, as a result of bows are a lot simpler to goal when you’ve gotten a gyro in your facet.

The DualSense Edge might price $200, however you’re not simply getting the gamepad. Not solely do you get the aforementioned 4 steel paddles and 4 convex analog stick tops but in addition it comes with a 2.8-meter (round 9-foot) braided USB-C to USB-A cable, a intelligent locking adapter that retains that cable securely connected to the gamepad (we yanked it, it’s agency), and what looks like a high quality hardshell case with sturdy zips. It looks like a bit of baggage, solely PlayStation-themed.

The case additionally has an enormous Velcro passthrough window on the prime so you may cost the controller with out unzipping it, and there’s even a spot for an analog stick module if you wish to carry an additional one in case of breakage. You’ll have to purchase one your self for $20, although, because it’s not included within the package deal.

While the controller doesn’t include its personal charging dock, it’s best to understand it’s obtained the identical copper contacts on the underside to simply slide it into the identical official Sony charger you is likely to be utilizing along with your DualSense, and it’s obtained the identical 3.5mm jack must you wish to plug in a headset. In truth, it’s simpler to make use of a headset than ever: maintain down on the brand new Function keys, and you may simply elevate and decrease headset quantity with out ever diving right into a menu.

Other than, you realize, sturdiness, there’s only one massive query on my thoughts concerning the DualSense Edge, but it surely’s one which’ll have to attend for a assessment — I didn’t get time to check the battery life, and I fear as a result of Sony isn’t prepared to speak numbers in any respect.

The firm is just saying it is going to have “moderately shorter” battery life than the unique DualSense. Here’s Sony’s full assertion on that, through spokesperson Zhang:

The DualSense Edge wi-fi controller’s working time is reasonably shorter than the unique DualSense wi-fi controller as a result of we’ve included many extra options inside the similar type issue and ergonomic design as the unique DualSense controller. We wished to strike stability between wi-fi working time and delivering sturdy, high-performance options. Additionally, the longer USB braided cable can also be nice for aggressive gamers preferring enjoying with a wired connection to keep away from wi-fi interference – this feature preserves battery life.

We’ll hopefully be capable of offer you solutions there in a full assessment. Anything else you’d prefer to know? Hit me up within the feedback, and we’ll do our greatest as soon as we’ve obtained one at house.