Sony's answer to the Xbox Elite Controller is here. It has all the hallmarks of a luxury gamepad, but not everything PlayStation users need. Because the input device, which costs around 240 euros, does a lot of things right, but is not a universal upgrade to the standard controller.
Table of contents
- Fewer back keys in new shapes
- Replaceable sticks instead of better ones
- Individually more comfortable
- The software plays with home advantage
- Conclusion
Fewer backspaces in new shapes
A first look at the data sheet introduces the DualSense Edge as an elite controller for the PlayStation 5. Softer, smoother buttons, rubberized handles and the hard plastic case for controllers and accessories make the luxury aspect present compared to the classic controller. A differentiated picture emerges, because Sony offers more on the one hand and less on the other hand than other elite controllers. There are two levels of trigger locks, which can be used more precisely, but there are only two additional buttons on the underside. The edge controller has two forms for the back buttons in its luggage.
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Scope of delivery: thumbsticks, paddles, USB cable
Image 1 of 4
The Edge clearly stands out in terms of design, glossy elements look out of place
The two back keys are used magnetically
The elongated buttons are just as easy to press on the Edge as anywhere else if they are mounted in the shape of the controller. This tight-fitting “normal shape” has not established itself as the standard for luxury controllers for nothing and allows a comfortable hand position and effortless release.
On the Sony, the back buttons can be mounted differently in “pedal form”, which allows operation with the fingertips. This allows the paddles to be pressed like a normal button, the actuation feels more precise. Prerequisite are rather smaller fingers, even with medium size the grippers are always slightly stretched. Alternatively, the gamepad can be equipped with half-round back buttons. They want to be operated with the side of the middle finger, which also has to be taken out of the resting position – it would be really convenient differently.
Turned over, the fingertips press the keys
The tight fitting promises the greatest comfort
Alternatively, semicircular buttons can be usedExchangeable instead of better sticks
The complete exchange of thumbsticks is clearly an advantage for the pad. No tools are required for this: the faceplate is released via a switch on the underside, a lever then releases the stick module – one, albeit not the best, way of solving the problem of stick drift. It should in no way hide the fact that self-repair doesn't get to the heart of the problem. The exchange is as quick and easy as the implementation of the process is enthusiastic: At the price of 240 euros, the qualitatively feasible should have been exhausted. It remains to be seen whether alternative third-party sticks will create further customization options or technical upgrades.
Caps and thumbsticks can be removed without tools< /figure>
Caps can also be exchanged. You can choose between convex and outwardly curved models, which are available in two heights. Using the shape of the PlayStation 3 sticks is a matter of taste – here they are less convincing. The stick attachments are held by Sony via a click system that snaps firmly into place. Installing and removing it takes some getting used to and there are fears of breaking something. However, the fit is absolutely firm and does not differ from that of the DualSense pad. A good solution: In the end, despite the modularity, the DualSense Edge feels just like the normal pad with permanently installed components – no matter how hard you hit the sticks.
Individually more comfortable
In games, modularity and flexibility are not very tangible. You may react a little faster or get along a little better in some situations, but in the end the Edge is still a gain in comfort. Real, indispensable profits have at best professional players, less so couch gamers for their after-work game. Comfort wins the game through adaptation in form, but also in function.
Trigger locks work as well as anywhere else. Turning them into buttons when needed brings perceived agility gains in shooters. Once again, however, they only exist with a compromise: adaptive triggers then no longer work. That's clumsy, because they're well executed – a significant gain in immersion. Extra buttons on the bottom have also proven their worth, be it for fast hitting in shooters or smooth shifting in racing games. Since there are only two here, you still have to take your hand off the right stick to press a button.
FN keys are used to switch profiles
Triggers can be shortened in two stepsSony provides the workaround for this actually half-hearted solution right away. Buttons can be freely assigned on the Edge, so you can put the most unimportant functions aside. Sony shows what puts the Edge on the PlayStation in pole position. It benefits from bespoke integration with the console's operating system.
The software plays with home advantage
The configuration dialog can be called up on the screen at any time using the two FN keys, where key assignments, sensitivities and dead zones can be fine-tuned. Sony assists with this process with specifications and tips that provide orientation. An on-screen display helps when changing profiles – four profiles can be preselected. However, Sony does not go beyond remapping all keys, key combinations or macros remain taboo.
It all feels like it's part of the PlayStation concept, makes it easier to take advantage of the many configuration options, and integrates frequent tinkering into everyday gaming. Someone has thought along here and thought about the meaning and purpose of the planned features. But you should also want to tinker with something so that the purchase price pays off in some way. And there is another important requirement, because the Edge cannot currently be used or configured on the PC – the pad is a “PS5 exclusive”.
Another catch is the runtime. It remains difficult to quantify because with the DualSense it depends on how much a game uses the controller's functions, e.g. in the form of adaptive triggers. However, as was already clear in advance, the endurance of the Edge is moving in the wrong direction because Sony has made the battery smaller. Experience on the network suggests that you have to switch back to the charging cable 25 to 33 percent earlier.
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It has proven to be ideal to make charging a routine after each session to avoid getting into trouble. Sony has also planned to switch completely to cables: A holder for locking (ergo permanent mounting) the 3 m long USB-C cable speaks volumes about the point of this option. Once again, Sony's controller offers compromised flexibility. Short battery runtimes collide with the exorbitant price, but with cable operation the weight of the power storage unit has to be kept up, even when it is not needed. At 335 g instead of 279 g, the Edge brings a noticeable increase in weight.
Conclusion
The DualSense Edge is a good luxury controller for the PlayStation 5. Period. It's not an art: Not only Microsoft, but basically Hinz and Kunz have staked out the field with gamepads of all kinds. There was enough illustrative material and the bar was set high. If you only get into something with the second generation, you have many clues. But he has to push the limits of what is believed to be feasible, even if he also raises the limit of the surcharge.
Sony maintains the standards of the competition, although some peculiarities are difficult to understand. Why only two back keys when four are the standard? Why interchangeable but not better thumbsticks that last forever – and potentially leave less room for the battery? More freedom is offset by less freedom in the form of shorter runtimes, with cable operation the unnecessary battery weight.
Whether Edge or Elite: The standard controller is usually the smart choiceThe DualSense Edge is therefore remembered as a rather contradictory product that can still be the top dog on the PlayStation. This is by no means a further contradiction when you look at the controller and console as a package and realize that the combination appears to be made of one piece. The home advantage in the form of seamless integration into the system software then makes a significant difference. Instructions for using the Edge extra features round off the overall picture on the console.
A universal purchase recommendation can still be given less than with the rest of the pro controllers, which are half as expensive in price comparison and therefore almost ridiculously cheap. On the contrary: the DualSense Edge has the strengths and weaknesses of the normal model in a more pronounced form. The included gamepad remains the first choice for relaxed gaming on the couch. If you don't know exactly why the Edge fills a gap in demand, you're basically not missing out – at least for the estimated 240 euros.
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ComputerBase has received the DualSense Edge on loan from Sony under NDA for testing. The manufacturer did not influence the test report and there was no obligation to publish it. The only requirement was the earliest possible publication date, which had already passed at the end of January.
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