What you’re getting for your eye-watering $340 investment is the DualSense Edge controller itself (naturally), said carry case, a very nice 2.8m braided USB-C cable with an optional lock attachment, two extra pairs of analogue stick caps within the old PS3-style convex shape rich in and low variants and two sets of optional back button attachments – one “paddle” style set and a smaller, half-dome set. It’s a decent amount of kit and somewhat in line with what you’d expect in the full Elite Series 2 package, however, there are a couple of odd or disappointing choices in what’s included, but we’ll get to those a bit further down.
Picking in the DualSense Edge the very first time, it’s clear that all the heft isn’t just in the goodie bag of extras inside the box – the controller is quite weighty and solid. I wouldn’t call it heavy, but it’s definitely a discernible difference in the normie DualSense. It feels decidedly “premium”, like it’s made from better stuff than most and built prepared to tackle anything you throw in internet marketing. It definitely results in within the hand as an expensive bit of gear, and it’s thoughtfully made with flourishes like a textured grip at the rear of the handles as well as on the L2/R2 triggers, shiny black finishes on the front face and buttons along with a very handsome touch pad that’s a little more angular and textured with little PlayStation icons.
Aside from aesthetic differences, the overall shape and fit from the Edge is fairly well on par with the existing DualSense which is a pretty commendable feat considering the amount of extra stuff packed in it. In towards the usual fixtures this new undertake Sony’s iconic controller includes two function (FN) buttons underneath the analogue sticks, trigger length sliders alongside each group of shoulder buttons, and two slots to slot in either from the back button attachments that include it.
Anyone who’s used a controller of the ilk will have a very good idea of what to anticipate in the lever-style back buttons, that are similar to what you’d find around the Elite controllers. More interesting are the half-dome variety which are smaller and appear to work better for those who have a higher grip around the controller, for me personally these were definitely the preferred option but it’s great that there’s an alternate included. I quickly found myself utilizing the back buttons in Dead Space, where I mapped them to produce immediate access to health insurance and Isaac’s Stasis ability without needing to take my fingers from the shoulder buttons. I also utilized having the ability to shorten the travel on the L2/R2 triggers to provide my fingers a bit of reprieve when slinging spells in Forspoken, a pleasant little added comfort option which i hadn’t anticipated.
As far as the DualSense Edge’s analogue sticks go, it’s mostly good stuff. The sticks themselves are pretty much what you’d expect from the DualSense controller, of course with the point of difference that the tops can be exchanged using the PS3-esque convex ones included in the box. They are available in standard and taller lengths for those who prefer to add some extra travel distance for games that beg extra nuance, but I’m a little confused why we simply obtain the taller option in the convex style caps. Surely it wouldn’t took a lot more effort to incorporate a fourth set and give people taller versions from the default caps.
Something I didn’t clock initially was the tiny release switch tucked away on the underside from the Edge to help make the front faceplate pop off for getting at the modules. I’d gotten accustomed to just (carefully) pulling the plates from my standard PS5 controllers to swap them for aftermarket ones and automatically started doing the same here. Thankfully it doesn’t appear to be it’s done any harm, but keep that in mind and study from my mistake.
Aside in the impressive physical additions in the DualSense Edge, the software component is also largely successful. The FN buttons at the end of the pad are the gateway to some handful of shortcuts that help to tie the entire experience together alongside the UI integration around the PS5. The dedicated DualSense Edge settings menu on the PS5 allows users to adjust a heap of settings from completely reassigning buttons to adjusting deadzones for the triggers and sticks as well as sensitivity. All of these tweaks could be saved into custom profiles which can then be assigned to different combinations of the FN and face buttons to create quickly swapping between them very simple. Combining the FN and d-pad buttons on the other hand makes it simple to quickly control PS5 audio settings when utilizing an official headset, which I found immediately useful jumping right into a party with some friends.
It does feel just a little odd that both FN buttons have identical function. It makes sense from the comfort perspective when using them in conjunction with buttons on each end from the controller, but they still feel an impression redundant as two additional buttons that don’t actually add any new in-game functionality. Overall though, the software experience and easy customisation and quick-switching is very impressive along with a major feature for picking up one of these simple official pro-style pads over a third-party offering. Hopefully down the road with firmware updates we’ll see the potential unlocked even more.
One thing that can’t easily be fixed or updated and sticks out as one of the few sore points around the DualSense Edge may be the little ol’ issue of battery life. The conventional flavour of DualSense had been trailing behind just about every other controller if this came to its stamina, usually tapping out before hitting double digits in hours played. The advantage isn't any better in connection with this, and if anything is slightly worse (as evidenced by the fact it’s physically smaller and holds less actual charge). I’ve found I get around 4-5 hours on the charge in games that utilise the full spectrum of haptic feedback/adaptive trigger features, though that can obviously be increased by switching those and other features off. For all the good the Edge does, its poor life of the battery is a big detractor and could (and should) give many potential punters pause to choose one up.
Given the excellent, long USB-C cable included it’s clear that there’s an expectation for users to go for playing with the DualSense Edge plugged into the PS5 console, and that’s honestly an excellent method to utilize it. I’m believing that wireless latency isn’t that big a problem for 90% of players, even at higher skill levels, but the kinds of people buying a controller such as this would naturally gravitate towards a perceivably more reliable wired connection anyway. The included locking mechanism that you could affix to make sure the cable can’t accidentally be tugged from your Edge is a nice inclusion, although the implication appears to be that individuals prefer to risk their $800 console falling onto the floor than their controller skip a few beats if a pet or unruly housemate trips the cord.
