DualSense Edge review - A pricey but value for money pro controller

DualSense Edge, Sony's first pro-controller, is currently available on the market and is a direct competitor to Microsoft's Xbox Elite Series gamepads.

Sony's famed product line revolving around PlayStations and their controllers has a long and rich history. The DualShock series of gamepads remained relevant for years until the Japanese multinational conglomerate decided to introduce a change, the DualSense.

The release of the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 console saw a major shift in the design and positioning of the older controllers. However, with several rival companies like Microsoft, SCUF Gaming, and Nintendo manufacturing professional gamepads for serious gamers and pro-athletes, the consumption behavior of Sony's gaming accessories hasn't seen much of a rise amongst users.

This was largely due to the fact that Sony's gaming accessories don't cater to the needs and wants of serious gamers. With the launch of the DualSense Edge wireless controller, the company has finally entered the market for competitive gaming accessories.

The DualSense Edge is a customizable premium controller that allows you to remap buttons, tweak control sensitivity, and create different presets for various games. Additionally, it comes with multiple hardware upgrades and customization options that allow you to add or remove buttons and assign controls to them.

Thanks to Sony, I was recently able to get my hands on the DualSense Edge wireless controller. I had to conduct an in-depth analysis and put the device through multiple tests to finally pass a judgment about the product. So, what gives DualSense Edge the "professional" tag? Is it worth $199.99? Is it worth an upgrade from the standard DualSense? Read on to find out.

Sony's DualSense Edge: An overview

The DualSense Edge wireless controller comes with a set of accessories that complement it. As you open the primary packaging, you'll find a hard-shelled, white carrying case that acts as a container for your gamepad and other associated gear.

This case has a PlayStation logo on the top and a zip mechanism for opening it. It also comes with a flap on the back, which serves the purpose of charging the controller while it's inside, thereby adding protection.

Brand	Sony
Price	$200
Battery	1050 mAh
Approximate battery life	4-6 hours

What's inside the box?

Inside the box of the DualSense Edge wireless controller (Image via Sportskeeda)

Sony's Dualsense Edge comes with a white carrying case and the following supporting accessories:

USB braided cable
2 standard thumbcaps
2.8 meter-long USB braided cable
2 High Dome caps
2 Low Dome caps
2 Half Dome Back Buttons
2 Lever Back Buttons
Connector Housing

One of the most annoying things about this case is the pain of putting everything back into place. Sony's design certainly made this process slightly difficult, at least for me, if I'm not just bad at handling it. The back buttons are fairly difficult to put back in place and take a lot of pushing in the right shape and direction. While this isn't something major, it's definitely something to look out for.

Along with all the aforementioned items, an instruction manual is also provided with the box.

USB braided cable

Not only is the charging cable longer (than usual) in size, but it's sturdy in nature as well. You can get the controller connected to your console and still be able to play from a great distance thanks to its length.

Connector Housing

The Connector Housing is a lock that prevents the USB Type-C cable from getting disconnected from the controller.

Additional thumbcaps

The DualSense Edge controller comes with standard thumbcaps attached. These are the basic ones that most gamers are used to. Two additional sets of thumbcaps have been provided inside the box - the High Dome caps and Low Dome caps. The extra caps are somewhat convex-looking and have a good grip to them.

Based on your preference, you can use either one. It's also possible to use them in combination with the other. For example, you can use the Low Dome cap on the left stick and the High Dome cap on the right. Switching them is a fairly simple affair since they easily come out when pulled with minimal force. When putting one back, you'll have to line it up and push it until it clicks into place.

Back buttons

The Back buttons are one of the biggest physical upgrades from the standard DualSense controller. They can be attached to the back of the DS Edge and fit into the LB and RB slots. Once this is done, they can be mapped to any key other than the Share Button and Create Button.

Something that I have noticed while fiddling with different customization options is that the back buttons can be slightly difficult to put into place in the beginning. There's no learning curve to this, but you do have to get accustomed to the direction they go in and how they are taken off.

Key features

Lever Back button

The Lever Back buttons are bigger length-wise and work well for users who like to keep their hands in a resting position. However, they cover a large area and might be difficult to use for those with larger hands or fingers.

Half Dome Back button

The Half Dome Back buttons are smaller and more compact in size. They just work better for me since I have big hands and require some space to comfortably grab the controller. Nevertheless, everyone has different preferences, and you may need to test and figure out what works best for you.

Stop sliders

Now, we move onto the most pro-aspect of the controller, the stop sliders. They have three stages: the long, medium, and short stroke. Besides the trigger distance settings, there are two of these: the L2 slider and R2 slider.

These sliders serve the purpose of reducing the trigger length. Having a shorter trigger length could potentially be the deciding factor in a competitive shooter game.

I didn't mind playing with the basic setting, the long stroke, for casual gaming or while playing non-shooter titles. When it comes to Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and other BR or shooter games, it's best to use the short stroke slider to reduce your shooting time.

Replaceable Stick Modules

Release button functionability (Image via Sportskeeda)

The release button on the back of the controller serves a special purpose as it unlocks the glossy hatch in the front, thereby exposing the two thumbsticks. Now, if you lift up the two metal levers on both sides, you can slide the thumbsticks out of place.

Once you're done replacing the modules, you can put the metal levers back in place and simply slide the hatch back on top.

Function buttons (Fn)

Sony has certainly taken innovation to the next level by designing and adding a Function button below each analog stick of the DualSense Edge. They allow you to create custom profiles and surf through them anytime for seamless switching. Furthermore, it's now possible to adjust the volume level as per your requirements.

Holding the Function button pops up a small menu that displays all the shortcuts and profiles you have saved.

Note: You can create up to four custom profiles.

Customization settings

DualSense Edge profile settings (Image via Sportskeeda)

When it comes to control and sensitivity customization, the DualSense Edge has a lot to offer. For starters, it lets you customize button assignments and remap every button to your liking (except the Share and Create buttons).

The Stick Sensitivity/Deadzone menu lets you adjust the stick sensitivity and deadzone settings of your controller using the D-pad. It offers a wide array of sensitivity curve options. This is how Sony describes each of them:

Default
Quick - The amount of registered input accelerates as you tilt the stick. Good for making quick movements. Gain the upper hand by quickly aiming in fast-paced shooting games.
Precise - Minimum input is registered when you tilt the stick. Good for making precise movements. Fans of shooting games may find the ability to aim slowly and accurately helpful.
Steady - Registered input is limited even if you tilt the stick far. Enables smooth and stable movement. Ideal for when you need to move smoothly in action games.
Digital - Tilting the stick even slightly will register nearly maximum input. Functions like the directional buttons on the controller. Get instant input reaction for your fighting and action games.
Dynamic - Registered input is limited when you tilt the stick slightly or far, but accelerated in the middle range. Enables versatile gameplay in shooting games, where you may need to aim carefully, but also turn quickly.

Other customization options include Trigger Deadzone, Vibration Intensity, and Trigger Effect Intensity:

Trigger Deadzone - As the name suggests, it exists for adjusting trigger deazone
Vibration Intensity - When you're using the microphone on your controller, the intensity is set to 'Weak.' If you use a headset or mute the microphone, the intensity selected here will be applied.
Trigger Effect Intensity - When you're using the microphone on your controller, the intensity is set to 'Weak.' If you use a headset or mute the microphone, the intensity selected here will be applied. If you've adjusted the L2/R2 stop sliders, the trigger effect will turn off.

Gaming Performance

Fortnite Battle Royale (Image via Epic Games)

I tested a few games on both the standard DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers to get a better understanding of what benefits the latter offers over its predecessor.

Warzone and Fortnite

For shooter titles like Warzone and Fortnite, you have the advantage of adjusting your trigger distance, which reduces the time to shoot for you. Other than that, I was expecting an improvement to the adaptive triggers. Unfortunately, there's little to no difference in this aspect. You also have the option to assign controls to the back buttons and adjust your thumbstick sensitivity.

Hogwarts Legacy

When it comes to Hogwarts Legacy, I could not find any significant difference while comparing the two controllers. As a matter of fact, there aren't many controls to assign to the back button as well.

Witcher 3 and other RPGs

For the final test, I tried a few RPGs, namely Witcher 3, God of War Ragnarok, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Again, there are certain advantages to using the Edge controller like the functionality of the back buttons, but there's not much in terms of an overall upgrade.

In-game performance verdict

The Dualsense Edge performs well and feels like an upgrade when it comes to shooter titles. It doesn't offer a lot if you're not a fan of BR and FPS titles. Additionally, the DualSense Edge is slightly heavier than the standard DualSense controller. So, if weight is a determining factor for you, there might be room for re-consideration.

Overall, I would prefer the DualSense Edge for games that have lots of controls and functions over ones that have a basic key mapping. Personally, I wouldn't switch to the standard controller anytime soon because comfort is a priority for me, and DualSense Edge aces in this aspect.

Conclusion

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The DualSense Edge wireless controller works great for me in many ways, be it the overall in-hand feel, additional buttons, the stop sliders, choice of thumb caps, or the option to replace the thumbstick modules. However, one aspect that I wish could've been improved upon was the battery life. Unfortunately, it has now been reduced, with the DS Edge lasting for only four to six hours at maximum charge.

Although the controller does seem a tad pricier when compared to its rival Xbox Elite Series 2 (which is $20 cheaper), the DualSense Edge does provide better accessibility and handling to make up for that.

So, is it worth an upgrade/purchase? If you do have a brand new/spare DualSense controller, just wait for some time. If not, what's stopping you from getting one (considering that you have the budget)?

The DualSense Edge works best for competitive players who can set up various button profiles for their controller and use them as per their needs and the title they're playing. However, the controller has little use when it comes to casual gamers.

I've definitely enjoyed playing some Fortnite, Warzone, and a bit of Hogwarts Legacy with the DualSense Edge and wouldn't go back to using the older and standard controller, solely for the DS Edge's better grip and in-hand feel.

DualSense Edge

Product: DualSense Edge wireless controller (provided by Sony)

Release date: January 26, 2023

Price: $199.99

Battery: 1050 mAh