The DualSense Edge is coming out and its release date was just shared this week but what everyone is talking about it is the price. What many of us were expecting for the PS5 pad was the price tag of somewhere around £150 or just a bit higher. After all, that is the standard cost of pro controller pads but to everyone’s surprise, £150 is not enough. The new PS5 controller; DualSense Edge is expected to cost £209.99/$199.99/€239.99 when compared to other pads that are not cheap at all.
So how do we know if the users are unimpressed? During our poll on the subject, we asked our community to share their thoughts on the price tag and if they are still going to buy the DualSense Edge seeing how much it will cost when it comes out. The people spoke and the results did not look good for Sony.
Almost 4000 people cast their votes in the poll and 46 per cent (a majority for this poll) said they had no interest in buying the pad. Another 19 per cent of the group said they would “probably” not buy the controller while another group of 23 per cent said they may end up buying the controller if they find it at a cheaper price. It does make sense, after all, they want to have the DualSense Edge but at a reasonable price.
Did anyone say that they will be buying the controller regardless of price? Out of the poll votes, 5 per cent of people said they would get it once it comes out with no regard to the price while another 5 per cent thought they may “probably” buy the controller. 3 per cent were left undecided between making a purchase or not.
The new controller pad from Sony is expected to come out in January with pre-orders expected to start on October 25th. The new pad is a wireless controller that has upgraded from the DualSense to premium status. According to Sony with the pad users can disable buttons or even set customized mapping control. Sony may be using this new design as a rival to Microsoft’s Xbox premium line of controllers. Users already familiar with DualSense will feel right at home with the old features and a few upgrades.
According to Sony, the almost $200 premium pad has been built “with high performance and personalisation” in mind. The new pad will allow users to replace stick modules which will be sold separately at $20. Some gamers feel that the analogue sticks are also a bit high in cost. The trigger stops and dead zones are adjustable on the pad allowing a gamer to reduce travel distance. The charging cable is a braided USB-C that can be locked in place.
Why people may still be in shock over the price, the DualSense Edge is almost in the same price range as the Xbox Elite Series 2 which has a starting price of $150 and Scuf’s Reflex gamepad for PS5 also sells at $249.99 and the company has other expensive gaming pads. So if the sums are right it is more expensive than Microsoft’s controller but cheap when compared to Scuf’s controllers.
The gamepad has five profiles and added methods for input. Gamers can customise the sticks by adjusting sensitivity and dead zones but they can also save these settings under personalised profiles. The pad stands out from other controllers with the DualSense feature by offering powerful haptic feedback and the trigger buttons can be tension adjusted. Players can easily swap between their saved profiles when playing.
In a blog statement, Sony described the new device as “the first-ever-high- performance, ultra-customisable controller developed by Sony” that will let players “craft their own unique gaming experiences through custom controls tailored to their playstyle.”
On sharing why Sony created the new DualSense Edge, Sony’s Art Director Daisuke Kurihara said “we wanted to build on the legacy of iconic PlayStation controllers by creating a controller that empowers players to experiment and personalise elements based on their unique playstyle- whether they are a competitive gamer or someone who just enjoys having more options to customise their play”.
While Sony went all out to create a controller with a premium experience it remains to be seen if gamers who are not hardcore will reach for the shelves and grab the latest PS5 controller. The controller launches on January 26 with the expected price tag of $199.99/ £209.99.
Based on the poll that we talked of at the beginning, we can assume that not a lot of people will end up buying the DualSense Edge on its launch day if the price tag holds. Only 5 per cent of the votes were sure of buying the pad on its launch day while a majority felt that the price tag has put them off altogether. But it’s worth remembering that the DualSense Edge controller from Sony is a Pro or premium so it may be why Sony has pushed the cost higher than expected. The purchase package includes:
- The DualSense Edge controller
- 2 Standard caps
- A USB braided cable
- 2 high dome caps
- 2 low dome caps
- 2 half-dome back buttons
- 2 lever back buttons
- Housing connector
- Carrying case
As with other premium products by other brands, Sony may be targeting the main hardcore PS5 players that want the good stuff at that price and if talk from Sony of how the controller offers the best gaming experience plus customisation profiles holds maybe the value is worth it. The DualSense will be available for pre-order on direct.playstation.com from January 25th. But we will like to hear what you think, is the price tag something you can work with? Has your interest shifted or were you uninterested even before you saw the cost? Will you be buying the new DualSense Edge when it launches? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.
