There's been plenty of speculation about the possibility of a PS5 Pro Controller, and now Sony has put our minds at ease with the announcement of the DualSense Edge.
The controller comes with far more than just quality-of-life and performance updates, so let's dive in to what we know so far, what this could mean for the industry as a whole and whether this controller will have the 'edge' over the likes of the Xbox Elite Series 2...
DualSense Edge - Release Date and Price Speculation
As you've no doubt seen, Sony has been somewhat illusive when it comes to either a release date or price, but there are some clues which could at least give us an idea of what we could expect.
Sony's announcement assures its avid readers that a big reveal, which includes the launch date is coming 'in the months ahead' and while that does seem to suggest that it's hardly around the corner, we get a feeling we're looking at 2023 over 2024.
A DualSense Edge for the festive season? Probably not. A release alongside PSVR 2 slated for release in early 2023? Potentially...
If this is the case we could be looking at anything from January to March, but as mentioned, this is speculation at this point and should be taken with a pinch of salt to avoid any disappointment!
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So what about pricing?
Again, nothing to go on just yet, which leaves us with one option...Sony's main competitor, Xbox.
We have no PS4 Elite Controller to base our prediction on, but what we do have is the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller which retails with an MSRP of £159.99. There's no telling if Sony will use this price as a baseline, but it seems unlikely that the controller would go any lower than that, especially with the unique additions they've announced.
It's worth keeping in mind that third party controllers for PS5, such a the Scuf Reflex hover upwards over $200, so it'll be interesting to see if Sony tries to offer competitive pricing against some of the other big players in the pro-controller space.
If we had to throw our hat in the ring, we'd say we're looking at around the same price as the Elite Series 2 on release...but time will tell.
DualSense Edge Specs
So the good news is that we do have some specs and features to delve into, so let's take a look at what we know so far.
Swappable Components
Versatility is the name of the game with this controller and it doesn't skip out on some really cool tech.
This controller is going to allow component swapping. Sticky Joystick? Boom, swap in a brand new one. Don't like the stick cap? Well, here's a different one, welcome to the future.
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The controller comes with three choices of stick caps - standard, low-dome and high-dome, so you can find the right choice for your hands, without having to resort to a whole new gamepad.
The customisation doesn't stop there though, you're also going to be able to swap the back buttons between half-dome and lever buttons that can be mapped to any button input.
If you love tailoring your devices to your needs, or just like having your own flair, it seems that this new controller has your name on it.
Customisation Options
The DualSense's versatility doesn't just cover the hardware, Sony is also bringing a new control mapping system to the table. With the DualSense Edge, you're going to be able to really control your controller.
The new system grants you the ability to remap and deactivate specific button inputs, adjust stick dead zones (the area of your stick where inputs aren't registered) and stick sensitivity.
The triggers are also receiving similar treatment and you'll be able to change how far the trigger has to be pressed before it registers an input, so you can get them as sensitive and accurate as you want.
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Each of these new settings can be saved to control profiles, so you'll be able to switch between games quickly and switch to your custom settings easily, with the 'dedicated Fn button', which will also allow you to adjust the volume.
You might be wondering if there's a trade-off for all of this new tech, well fortunately for you, there doesn't seem to be. The DualSense Edge retains the haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and other features you love from their previous controllers.
What does it come with?
Sony has announced that the DualSense Edge box comes with all the button variations and stick caps that we mentioned earlier, and also a few extra goodies.
One of these goodies is the braided USB-C charging cable, which comes with a housing that keeps the cable locked into place, so you don't accidentally unplug during a clutch moment.
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The controller also comes with a carrying case that will allow you to charge the controller, whilst keeping it snug and protected.
Analysis
Whenever a new piece of tech adds some fresh design philosophy, we get excited about what could happen to the future market.
We think the big star of this controller is its ability to swap out components, but could this lead to more than just easy repairs?
This new design could lead to increased modularity for 'mainstream' controllers. Maybe there's a future where controllers will have a central unit to which we can add all kinds of alternate components for different genres and, importantly, different levels of accessibility.
We can't say where the future is headed, but there sure seem to be a lot of possibilities.
The impact the DualSense Edge controller will have on competitors will be interesting to see also.
For a long time there was a huge gap in the market for a 'pro' style controller for PS5, and limited options elsewhere.
In fact, Scuf's PS5 controllers (which are amazing by the way) were the only option for a while, but they were certainly expensive.
If we were Sony, it may make sense to go in at a lower price point, but with something so complex with so many moving parts, is that even possible?
Manufacturing costs will surely play a part in the final price, and from what we're seeing from its features, it looks like it'll be expensive to produce...
We'll keep you updated with everything we know as we hear it, so be sure to check back in with us soon for all the latest.