PS5 DualSense Edge Review: Highly Customizable, High Price, Low Battery Life – Video

Speaker 1: This is the PlayStation five s dual Sense controller, and this is the new dual sense edge. It’s the latest accessory for Sony’s PS five, and it offers a high degree of customization at an equally high price. The PlayStation five s default controller, the dual sense got its name for its ultra specific vibration functionality. The Edge is a pro style controller that improves on that by allowing players more options on how to fine tune their inputs. However, this enhanced customization doesn’t come cheap.

Speaker 1: [00:00:30] While a typical PS five controller will cost you around $70, the new dual sense Edge, which includes some accessories for the controller itself is $200. In the box is the controller itself a carrying case with a pass through window to allow for charging a u s BBC cable and a connector housing to secure it to the controller, plus two separate options for back paddles and two options for an analogic replacements. Both the dual sensee and dual sense edge controller look very similar to one another. At first glance, as long as you [00:01:00] ignore the red color option I have here because I treated myself since I’m a fancy boy who deserves nice things. The controllers even weigh just about the same with the dual sense coming in at around 281 grams while the edge sits just above it at approximately 325 grams. The edge features a textured grip on the handles, which helps the controller stay in your hands.

Speaker 1: It also has grooves on the trigger buttons, which is nice because you can more easily keep your fingers in the proper position. Textures and grooves aside, when the back buttons are removed, the controllers feel almost identical to use. [00:01:30] The original dual sense has a notoriously short battery life around seven to 10 hours. I’m disappointed to report that the edge comes in at an even lower five to seven hours. Luckily, the included U S BBC cable is pretty long, so I could still play games while the controller charged pro controllers give players more options for how the buttons and triggers register inputs. When connecting the controller to the PS five for the first time, a welcome screen shows off the different customization options, both from a hardware and software perspective. On the hardware side, players can attach either half dome [00:02:00] rounded and short or lever skinny and long back paddles to the device.

Speaker 1: They slot in and out easily and are held in place magnetically. I really appreciated this since I’ve used some pro controllers before where this process almost felt like I would break some of the plastic. These paddles sit close to where the player’s middle or ring fingers rest and can be matched to any other input on the dual sense edge. First person shooter fans often use these to keep their right thumb on the right analog stick so that they can continue to aim while still being able to jump or duck [00:02:30] an input, often put on the X or O face buttons. While both paddles are comfortable to use, I’ve found the half dome option to feel a little nicer since they sit more inwards and can’t be pressed as easily by mistake. These back paddles are also a great accessibility feature players with low range of motion for any of the primary controller fingers.

Speaker 1: The thumbs or the pointer fingers can swap one of those inputs to the back of the controller where they might have an easier time pressing a button. For example, in God avo, you often have to press the circle button rapidly to finish off an enemy or move an obstacle aside. [00:03:00] If the player has trouble moving their thumb at that speed but has that level of motor skill with their middle finger, then this would be quite helpful. It’s worth noting that the dual sends edge only has ports for two back paddles, one on each side. Most pro controllers on the market will typically have four of these, like on Microsoft’s Xbox Elite controller four is often the standard since it allows players to map each face button to the back and never have to move their thumb off the right analog stick. It’s curious why Sony opted for less.

Speaker 1: The next biggest hardware tweak is in the trigger buttons [00:03:30] on top of the controller. Next to each trigger is a mechanical switch that adjusts how far the L two R two buttons can be pressed in before registering a full push. Players can choose between three ranges of motion. For these fans of twitched base games often prefer shorter distances so they can press quicker and more often. For example, being able to shoot a gun more rapidly will give Call of Duty players an advantage. Again, the Xbox Elite Controller has similar options for its triggers. One exciting feature that is unique to this controller is the ability to remove [00:04:00] the analog stick module entirely. By pressing this release button on the back, the front cover can pop off. Then lifting this lever will unlock the module and you can slide it out. This is great for any players experiencing stick drift or any failures in their analog sticks.

Speaker 1: Specifically a component known to breakdown most frequently. Typically, you would have to return the whole controller itself for repairs, but since they’re removable, you can easily swap in a working module and Sony sells individual sticks for $20 on their website. These analog sticks are also customizable [00:04:30] and the kit comes with three options. Here are the standard caps, which are the same as on the original dual cents. Then you have two rounded options, high and low. These both feel the same to the touch, but just sit at different heights. These are another welcomed option as they allow the sticks to be maneuvered at different speeds and comfort levels, they’re easily swapped out by simply pulling the cap off the module and pressing the new one back into place. Each of these customization options are set via the PS five accessory setting screen. Where it gets really exciting is when you get to [00:05:00] the intensity and dead zone customization options.

Speaker 1: These menus can adjust how fast the input curves are for any of the controllers analog inputs. For example, if you want to physically use the full range of the trigger buttons, but want the controller to register that input more quickly, you can fine tune that on a surprisingly granular level. This goes for the analog sticks movement as well. In addition, you can adjust the dead zone, which is the center part of the stick where the controller registers no input to be wider. Again, this is useful for any components that might be wearing [00:05:30] down specifically stick drift so that you can cancel out any unwanted inputs and have the controller focus on areas that are working properly. All of these software options can be saved into a user profile. The dual sense edge features two fn or function buttons located below the analog sticks. Holding either of them down and pressing any of the face buttons will let you toggle between four assigned profiles or adjust the in-game audio in your headphones.

Speaker 1: It seems like a missed opportunity that both of these buttons do the same thing when held down and [00:06:00] don’t have any function on their own. When simply pressed. That said, being able to swap between profiles mid-game was quite useful, especially when jumping between different games. For example, Fortnite and Overwatch have different buttons assigned to their crouch button, so using the same profile wouldn’t be helpful. Glass components in the box are the case cable and connector housing. The case is quite nice and actually mimics some of the design aesthetics of the PlayStation five s. High panels inside it stores everything in your purchase so you can transport all of your accessories [00:06:30] together. On top of it is a window that folds down to give access to the top of the controller. This lets players connect the u S BBC cable and charge the controller while it’s safely stored inside that U US BBC cable is braided and measures nine feet in length.

Speaker 1: The connector housing clips onto the end of the cable and locks into the controller itself. I’m not entirely sure why you’d need to use this since the standard cable connection is fairly snug. Even if someone yanked or tripped on the cable, I would really rather it pop out of the controller instead of it being locked to [00:07:00] it and possibly pulling the console off the shelf. But if you have any ideas on how to best use the connector housing, I’d love to hear them. The standard dual sense controller can be used for PC gaming through both a wired and wireless connection. The dual sense edge can connect and register with the PC as well, but I wasn’t able to get any games to work with the new controller. I’m assuming this is because the controller isn’t out yet and it’s still early days for the edge.

Speaker 1: Considering the first controller works, I’d assume that functionality is coming in the future. So who is this controller for? Every game you’re going [00:07:30] to play on your PlayStation is thoughtfully designed to use the standard controller. The back paddles are great for shortcuts and offer more accessibility for those who might lack the ability to use the typical controller properly. Otherwise, the edge is geared towards players wanting a more competitive edge towards their typically twitched base gaming. If you’re someone who comes to Sony for their huge AAA narrative experiences like the Last of Us Horizon or God of war, then you probably won’t get a huge benefit out of spending $200 on this. But for those of you who play a lot of multi-player [00:08:00] games, specifically first person shooters or any game where the milliseconds it takes to press a button are important, then you will definitely see some advantages to the edges.

Speaker 1: Customization, the dual sense edge fills a hole that was missing from PlayStation’s portfolio. Small additions like the texture grip and the grooves on the triggers are appreciated, and being able to adjust dead zone and completely replace an analog stick gives this controller a much longer life. But it’s also disappointing that the short battery life of the original dual sense got even worse on the edge. [00:08:30] The controller feels good and offers new and more personal ways for any player to connect with a game, but it’s high price means it only makes sense for the really dedicated. What are your thoughts on pro controllers? Do you find back paddles and customizable triggers useful? Let me know and thanks for watching.