The Sony PlayStation DualSense Edge is Sony’s first ‘professional’ controller for the PlayStation line of consoles.
Similar to Microsoft’s Xbox Elite controller, the DualSense Edge for PlayStation 5 comes with customizability options not available on your standard DualSense 5 controller.
Announced in August 2022, Edge’s announcement caused a lot of excitement, not only because Sony finally had an understanding of creating a “professional” controller, but also because it had a customizability option that none of its competitors had. industry — interchangeable analog sticks.
So how does Edge work? Is it worth an extra S$200 over the standard DualSense 5 controller (S$109)? Keep reading to find out.
Box contents
The DualSense Edge comes with a stylish hard case that will probably do a good job of protecting the controller while also housing its customizable options if you pack it for travel.
In this case you will find:
I’ve been using the DualSense Edge for a week now because Sony provided an early unit for my review.
Pros: Software
The software customizability part of the DualSense Edge is where it really shines.
You can customize the controller, which is specially made for PlayStation 5 and its games, on the console in any number of ways you see fit.
If you play multiple games, you can create up to three custom profiles on the controller to suit your needs.
You can map all buttons (even face buttons) to specific actions suitable for the respective game.
Beyond that, you can also adjust the sensitivity and dead zone of the analog sticks.
Like adjusting the sensitivity of a computer mouse, this will help increase the sensitivity of the bar’s input.
For comparison, the DualSense 5 has only one static sensitivity.
Games often allow the player to change the in-game sensitivity according to their preferences. So with the additional layer of customization provided by Edge, you can fine-tune your in-game inputs a bit more.
Changing controller profiles in the menu of your PlayStation 5 is also easy and intuitive. It’s fast and you don’t have to exit the game or minimize to access the menu.
Edge also supports the familiar adaptive triggers of the original DualSense 5. However, using the stop sliders (to shorten the activation of the L2 and R2 triggers), Edge automatically disables this functionality.
But using the Edge on a PC returns the controller to a regular DualSense 5 controller with no additional hardware or software features.
Good to have: Interchangeable analog sticks and parts
Interchangeable analog sticks are also a nice touch.
That said, I don’t see any use for it at the moment as dedicated analog sticks are not made for the Edge….yet.
The only thing I can see this useful for now is replacing analog sticks with terrible stick drift.
But if that’s the case, why isn’t there an effort to redesign analog sticks to stop this problem? I’d get a more solid metal version than the swapping capability of the analog stick.
Speculation aside, hopefully Sony can release more versions of analog sticks soon to make this feature worthwhile.
It’s also nice to be able to replace the covers of your analog stick and add back buttons to the back of the controller, but these functions are already expected in the world of premium game controllers.
Cons: Controller feel and battery life
I don’t want to be Debbie Downer for such an exciting release for PlayStation but this has to be said.
I’ve used the Xbox Elite controller and I wouldn’t say it’s the most durable thing ever (I destroyed the triggers on my Xbox Elite controller from the Xbox One era), there is a noticeable difference in durability. you compare the standard Xbox controller with the Elite version.
The Elite feels much higher quality in the hand, with the body and buttons being much stiffer and stronger than the original Xbox controller.
However, the DualSense Edge doesn’t show its ‘premium’ price when you compare it to a standard DualSense 5 controller.
In fact, even though I’ve had my DualSense 5 that I bought with my PlayStation 5 for two years now, it somehow feels so much better in the hand.
The buttons on the DualSense 5 feel faster and more tactile to press, while the buttons on the Edge have some noticeable front movement and sensuality, especially the D-Pad and front buttons.
If you’re thinking, “Oh, maybe the DualSense 5’s buttons are broken”, no, it doesn’t work that way. The buttons will not be tighter the more you use them the more prone they will be to ‘loose’ and wobble.
Then again, this may be limited to the DualSense Edge I got, as I haven’t mentioned this in any of the other reviews I’ve seen.
The rest of the controller is pretty standard. The finish and feel of the controller is no different from the DualSense 5.
Battery life on the Edge is another point of contention. I’m able to use my DualSense 5 for up to 12 hours of gaming, but on my Edge it dries in about 7 hours and I’m prompted to recharge it.
This could be a compromise for the DualSense Edge because it has a few extra moving parts and adding a higher capacity battery will add to its weight as well. Currently, the Edge is similar in weight to the standard DualSense 5.
Conclusion: Is the DualSense Edge worth the money?
If you only play your games on PlayStation 5 and want a lot more customizability options for your games, the DualSense Edge is something you can consider spending your hard-earned money on.
If you don’t play any competitive games on your PlayStation 5 or play games frequently between your console and PC, I wouldn’t recommend the DualSense Edge. It doesn’t feel more “premium” than the DualSense 5.
Sure, Edge has some customizable options (it only works on PlayStation 5), but would I pay an additional S$200 to have these extras without an increase in hardware quality? Probably not.
If you just want to buy a controller for PC gaming… the DualSense 5 or Xbox Elite controller is a much better buy.
While both have much better battery life than the DualSense Edge, the Elite feels much more robust and the DualSense 5 is much cheaper for the same functions.
We hope Sony will be able to release custom analog sticks for the Edge soon and perhaps bundle them together in a controller package to suit the different needs of PlayStation 5 users.
The Sony DualSense Edge is now on sale for S$295.90, and you can find the standard DualSense 5 for S$109.
Dominic loves technology and games. When he’s not busy cooling his computer parts, he does professional wrestling.
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