Early next year, Sony will launch the DualSense Edge, their long-awaited answer Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Controller. The DualSense Edge brings a number of new features to the table, including removable sticks, rear paddles, and the ability to save multiple control profiles, but not every change is positive. The Verge recently went hands-on with the DualSense Edge, and while their impressions were mostly positive, they do report the new gamepad will have less battery life than the base PS5 controller. Sony itself confirmed this in a statement…
“The DualSense Edge wireless controller’s operating time is moderately shorter than the original DualSense wireless controller because we’ve included many more features within the same form factor and ergonomic design as the original DualSense controller. We wanted to strike a good balance between wireless operating time and delivering robust, high-performance features. Additionally, the longer USB braided cable is also great for competitive players who prefer playing with a wired connection to avoid wireless interference – this option preserves battery life.”
So, the question becomes – what exactly does Sony mean by a “moderately shorter” battery life? While generally a top-notch gamepad, the base DualSense already runs down relatively quickly in my experience, particularly with games that go all-in on haptics and adaptive trigger use. Even if the DualSense Edge only loses an hour or two of battery life, that could be a real useability issue depending on what you’re playing.
The Verge also notes that the DualSense Edge will use the same type of analog sticks as the base controller, which have shown a tendency to drift. Of course, with the controller’s swappable sticks, fixing the issue won’t be difficult. Still, a new more drift-resistant stick would have been even better.
The DualSense Edge controller officially launches on January 26, 2023. It will set you back $200.
