DualSense Edge Review – As Professional As It Gets

At the highest level, gaming demands everything from the players. For them to deliver at their peak performance, they need to be well equipped. In pursuit of the competitive edge with high-quality equipment several organisations are working on developing professional gaming accessories for esports professionals. These accessories are purpose built to offer granular controls and customisations. Now, Sony is the latest hardware maker to join the bandwagon of offering professional gaming gear for its’ PlayStation 5, with the DualSense Edge controller, priced at INR 18,990.

IGN India got a chance to review the Sony DualSense Edge gaming controller, a gaming accessory developed for players who want the best performance. Here is everything you need to know about the professional gaming controller along with our opinions on the additional features and accessories. Is Sony DualSense Edge controller worth your hard-earned money? Let’s find out.

First Look at the Sony DualSense Edge controller

Right out of the box, players can almost realise the level of customisation and freedom that Sony is offering with the DualSense Edge. The DualSense Edge comes in a hard-shell carrying case, so buyers don’t have to be worried about the safety of the controller while travelling.

But the fun only begins once you open the box. Right in the center of the carrying case, buyers will see the brand-new DualSense Edge sitting cozily. Around the controller, players will see all the additional buttons and accessories that PlayStation has provided to make this controller your own.

Looking at things from the top inside the box, you have an extremely long, braided USB-C Cable, along with connector housing. Below this, you get the extra analog stick caps as the controller is fitted with the 2 Standard caps. These stick caps on the controller are interchangeable with the two High Dome Caps or two Low Dome Caps. The buyers also get two types of additional buttons, 2 Half Dome Back Buttons and 2 Lever Back Buttons.

Carrying Case

The carrying case is one of the best additions to the DualSense Edge in my opinion. Looking closely, not only does it provide you with one place for all your additional accessories for the controller. But it also helps keep your mind at ease when you are travelling with it. The hard-shell provides an additional layer of protection to the controller and contents inside. The inner side of the case has rubberised cavities where the accessories snugly fit. It also adds to the shock-absorbing capabilities of the case.

USB-C Braided Cable with Connector Housing

Besides the case, the 9-feet long Type-C Braided cable was easily one of the highlights of the controller as it solved most accessibility problems with the controller. One of these problems, especially with wireless controllers, is the need to charge them and this long cable is one of the best solutions yet. Not only does it increase your reachability tremendously, but also enables a secure and stable connection with the help of connector housing. The housing itself was so strong that if you yanked on it, it would’ve pulled the PlayStation 5 console ahead instead of disconnecting the controller.

Analog Caps on the Sony DualSense Edge controller

Honestly, I didn’t have much use for the extra analog caps and was satisfied with the standard ones that came out of the box. That being said, professional players that wish to be more accurate with their aiming and movement can use the High Dome Caps. Similarly, gamers who have the need for faster movement speed and aiming should check out the Low Dome Caps. If one of the stick modules goes bad, then players have the option to purchase and replace individual stick modules too.

Additional Buttons

Now, this is where the DualSense Edge really starts to show its magic. First, the additional buttons come in 2 types, Lever and Half Dome. Talking about the buttons, Sony PlayStation has made it incredibly easy to swap between these additional buttons. Swapping does not take any of your time and these buttons are lifesavers in the middle of the action.

The Lever button has quicker accessibility, as your whole hand can feel it. But it also creates a situation where you end up pressing the button by mistake. Accidentally pressing the Half Dome Back Button is not a major issue because these buttons are smaller. However, sometime during clutch situations, it might get difficult to get a grasp on the buttons. Either way, both Lever and Half Dome Back buttons add to the players’ gameplay while making their playstyle even more efficient.

Design of the Controller

Coming to the design and functionality of the DualSense Edge controller, though it looks very much like the PlayStation 5’s DualSense Controller, the extra “Edge” is pretty prominent. The controller comes in Black and White accents with additional textures on the triggers and the touchpad to give it a more personalised feel. On top of that, the controller also comes with a rubberised back that helps with ergonomics and stronger grips during those sweaty, extended gaming sessions.

Players should also know that the controller is a dirt magnet as dirt particles will easily get stuck to the rubberised back. In addition, the dirt will also seep into the gaps and crevices in the controller. Therefore, players will have to put in extra effort to maintain the newness of the controller. Moreover, Sony has made customisation quite easy. As mentioned earlier, the additional buttons are extremely easy to swap. On top of that, swapping the analog caps is a breeze too.

Players can also adjust the travel distance for their DualSense Edge triggers. On the lowest level, the controller’s triggers act just like the DualSense triggers. But on the medium and highest levels is where you find a discernible difference in the response times. Lastly, the controller has a dedicated Fn (Function) button that allows you to swap your controller profiles according to the game you are playing. The battery and charging speed of the controller felt on par with the DualSense.

Software Features

Players can create profiles for specific games and save them to the Fn (Function) Button. Swapping between these profiles just takes two button presses. Through the profile, players can not only allocate actions to the additional buttons on the back but also remap the existing buttons as per their needs.

Furthermore, players also have the option to fine-tune their stick sensitivity as per their preference. This gives them an even more personalised experience when getting into the game. Other adjustable elements include the ability to assign dead zones if the analog stick is suffering from drift. These handy features really help towards increasing the longevity of the controller while making it more user friendly.

Single Player and Online Games with Sony DualSense Edge

During the time we had with the DualSense Edge, we were able to test it extensively across 5 games (2 single-player games and 3 online games). For single player games we tried the controller on the newly released titles, Forspoken and Hogwarts Legacy. In the case of online titles, we played Fortnite, FIFA 23 and Warzone 2.0.

In all honesty, there wasn’t much need for a professional controller for Forspoken. However, Hogwarts Legacy had a range of tools, and the additional buttons came in handy there. For Forspoken, I used the additional buttons for L1 and R1 and in Hogwarts Legacy I used them for the right and left keys on the d-pad. I did not use the ability to tweak the trigger or swapped the analog caps as these games already had adaptive trigger and auto-aim for combat.

Things took a turn in online titles as this is where the controller showcases its potential. Players should note that there is a learning curve in using the additional buttons and trigger functionalities present on the Sony DualSense Edge. Players will take some time to adjust their grip and pressure needed with the triggers. But, once they get the hang of it, they will feel the benefits when competing online. Here are the game specific aspects that I noticed while playing online games with Sony DualSense Edge:

Fortnite

Starting with Fortnite, I tested the additional buttons in two styles. In the first style I used the left back button as Square which helped with reloading and interacting with object. I used the right back button for Circle to switch to build mode on the fly. I used both styles of analog stiIk caps, but the Standard ones worked best for me.

I also adjusted the travel distance for the triggers, L2 at the highest and R2 at medium. These changes helped me achieve quicker response times when you suddenly came across an enemy. It took me a couple of hours of practice, but getting those kills quickly, reloading in clutch switch situations and swiftly switching between building and shooting with the help of the additional buttons did give me an advantage.

FIFA 23

In FIFA 23, I used the additional buttons for the L2 and R1 buttons. This helped me to jockey and call for an additional defender while sprinting and tackling with ease during defending situations. During attacking situations, I was able to apply flair to my finesse shots. This is something that I was not able to do earlier without the DualSense Edge. I couldn’t get the aim right with any of the other analog caps, so I stuck to the standard ones.

The trigger travel adjustment felt like a hack in the game as it made sprinting too easy. If you use adaptive triggers in FIFA 23, the game adds resistance to the triggers according to the decrease in the stamina. By putting both triggers at the lowest travel distance, I was able to bypass this feature in the game.

Overall, the DualSense Edge was a beauty in FIFA 23. I did struggle a lot at first, but when I got the hang of it, the controller helped me pass a sizable chunk of the Division in FUT mode.

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0

Things get tricky here as Warzone 2.0 is not the easiest game and has cut-throat competition. In all fairness, I am not the best at first-person shooting titles therefore I switched off cross-play to get away from the PC madness. I used the additional buttons for reload and melee attack during the game.

The trigger travel distance adjustments provided me with an advantage in those dire situations such as battling in the Gulag. Although it took some time, the high dome stick caps turned out to be the best fit in Warzone 2.0. These caps helped with quick and precise aiming. Overall, DualSense Edge did make my life significantly easier in the mean streets of Warzone 2.0.

Is the DualSense Edge Worth your Money?

The DualSense Edge certainly comes at a steep asking price of INR 18,990. But is the controller worthy of this hefty price? Well, it depends on the type of gamer getting this and the sort of use for the controller. If you are just a casual gamer, this is not the right pick. But, if you are a content creator or professional gamer looking to get an extra edge and have the money to spare, this is the best product for them.