Is It a $200 Improvement? PlayStation 5 DualSense Edge Review

In this episode, we unbox, test out, and evaluate whether or not the PlayStation 5 DualSense Edge controller is worth the $200 price tag.

When a modern video game controller feature that I don't think anyone has enjoyed has been a stick drift. First becoming prominent with the Nintendo Switch and now affecting other systems, stick drift is where an analog stick on a controller reads inputs even when at neutral. It is an annoying issue that can absolutely frustrate gamers during gameplay. While I have never encountered it with the Nintendo Switch, my launch day PS5 has most definitely suffered from stick drift.

The solution most people follow is to simply replace the controller. There are guides on how you can "repair" drifting controllers, but most of these are Band-Aid fixes at most. And any guide that tells you to use WD-40 as a solution should be ignored immediately! WD-40 is not a cleaner as much as it is a lubricant!

When Sony announced that they were going to release a pro-level controller I was not interested. At least at first. And when I saw that controller was going to have replaceable sticks, and those sticks would only be 20 bucks, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try. That controller is called the DualSense Edge, and it does look like a standard DualSense controller with a few minor tweaks.

On the face of it, you'll notice two additional buttons towards the center of the grip. These are essentially user-programmable macro buttons that can be used for just about anything on your system. Speaking of which, you can reprogram the entire button layout on this thing! If you want circle to act like triangle and triangle to act like cross and cross to act like square, go ahead and have at it. There's also user installable back paddles for those who do like to use that sort of thing (I don't). You can also adjust the throw of the l2 and r2 triggers via a series of convenient slide switches.

The ergonomics are virtually identical to the original DualSense controller, and that's a good thing as I love that controller. The Edge variant does feel a little bit heavier in the hands, and there's something about the buttons I just can't put my hands on but it feels different. It's almost like they're grinding or have additional resistance somewhere during the travel path as you press them. It's not something I like.

I charged it up on my KMD PS5 controller stand, my favorite one I've ever tested, and when it was done I plugged it in via USB-C cable to my PS5. Upon detecting the controller it also detected that there was a firmware update which took just a few minutes to go through. From there it walked me through a quick setup tutorial and we are on the gameplay.

I play a lot of racing games on my PS5, from Formula 1 to NASCAR to Sprint cars It's one of my favorite genres. Upon diving into NASCAR Heat 5, I did limit the L2 trigger travel In an effort to not lock up the brakes as frequently. And I'll tell you what, it worked! The analog sticks felt smooth and precise, and the throttle and brake felt great as well.

I went down to test many games with this, MLB The Show, Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart, Street Fighter 2 HD, and many more. The triggers, d-pad & analog sticks are the definite strong suits of this controller, they work so well. As I mentioned earlier, there's something about the button presses I just don't care for. There's something wrong here, something that grabs or grinds and I don't like it.

Why it RoX:
- Incredible quality
- Smooth analog sticks
- User-replaceable analog sticks
- Fully remappable
- Compatible with existing PS5 DualSense controller chargers
- Optional back paddles
- Storage and transport case included

What could be improved:
- Give me a version of the DualSense controller that just has this user-replaceable stick configuration
- Way expensive
- Face buttons don't feel great
- Only one color option

Should you buy one?
For the average consumer, I don't know that this is a must-own. I mean you basically have to replace your DualSense controller three times over to equal the value that this delivers for the price. That's four DualSense controllers to equal one of these. That being said, you cannot deny the quality of this unit, the ease with which you can replace the sticks, and all the optional features that Sony has baked into it. This is perhaps the finest controller they have ever produced, I just really wish they would produce one for the masses that essentially just added the user-replaceable stick option. That's all I want and honestly, all I need, unfortunately, I know that will never come.

#PlayStation5 #DualSenseEdge #PS5 #StickDrift #ps5gameplay