Those customizable rear buttons, whichever form you opt for, can feel like a great alternative to using face buttons or shoulder triggers for things like manual gear shifts in racing games. I also created one layout that mirrored the L2 and R2 triggers to the back paddles, and although that meant forsaking the DualSense’s adaptive trigger functions (when they resist your input, often used for haptic tricks like pulling a bow string) and rendering the physically adjustable trigger distance of the Edge almost pointless, it allowed me to more comfortably have fingers at the ready for all four shoulder button inputs, which I found useful on a variety of games, from action games such as Stellar Blade to shooters like Helldivers 2. We’re talking fractions of a difference, but if you’re a competitive gamer, that can mean a lot.
A Replacement Part of the Problem
Arguably, the killer feature is modular thumbsticks. An almost vanishingly small release tab on the base pops off a faceplate, allowing either left or right thumbstick to be removed and replaced (available separately for about $20). The Edge’s case has an empty slot ready and waiting for you to pop a spare in. On the surface, this is great—sure, the Edge is $199, but a $20 replacement part if it develops stick drift is cheaper than buying an entire regular DualSense at $70 a pop, right?
However, given that premium pricing, it’s disappointing that Sony didn’t go for Hall effect thumbsticks on the Edge in the first place. These are frequently found in higher-end third-party pro controllers and use magnetic sensors to track a thumbstick’s position. Not only is it a far more accurate technology, but Hall effect sticks don’t degrade, as there’s no friction or erosion of sensor surfaces internally, which causes drift in most regular joypads. If Sony used the modular nature to sell higher-grade Hall effect sticks separately, it would be somewhat understandable—under the cold light of capitalism, it’d be another thing to sell—but there’s no sign of that happening. While third-party Hall effect mods can be found, it feels like an oversight, if not a deliberate omission, on Sony’s part.
Photograph: Matt Kamen
The same modularity also means less space for the controller’s battery. The Edge has a 1,050-mAh battery cell, compared to the 1,560-mAh one in the conventional DualSense. This unavoidably means shorter play cycles between charges, although exactly how long will depend on the game. For many, this is where that extraordinarily long braided cable will come in handy, allowing you to keep playing longer.
There are a few other, smaller gripes with the Edge. It feels odd that the taller pair of swappable thumbstick caps are only available in the older, rounded form, while the modern, slightly recessed style used since PS4 only gets a default shorter pair. Similarly, the fact that there’s only capacity for two rear buttons, when many pro pads accommodate four, may feel a bit lackluster.
The overall quality of the Edge is undeniable, though, and its balance of gentle onboarding for pro controller newcomers with advanced features for more demanding players is exceptional. It makes for a much better way to play, but the daunting price means you’ll pay for the privilege.
