PS5 DualSense Edge controller makes Elden Ring, Red Dead 2 even better

Sony’s DualSense Edge, a PlayStation 5 controller in the vein of Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Series 2, will be released on Jan. 26, marking the company’s first foray into the realm of professional-grade controller variants. In our review, we praise the Edge’s customizability, from its swappable analog sticks, to its trigger stops, to its custom button-mapping profiles — even if its $200 price tag is a little steep for anyone outside of the tournament space.

Still, if you’re like me, you spend a good deal of time with your PlayStation 5. I’ve been doing just that over the past four days, trying a variety of games (both new and old) to see whether the DualSense Edge’s features make for an elevated experience. And while I definitely don’t think the new variant is essential for fun sessions in the Wild West, the Lands Between, or the Old World, I have found that the Edge makes some of my favorite PlayStation games feel much more fluid.

Below, I’ve gathered the five games I’ve played with the Edge to demonstrate how the controller’s features remove minor obstacles, solve input problems, and make for a cleaner overall experience.

Elden Ring

Image via Polygon: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco

My late grandmother, who was a skilled seamstress, and a frequent fixer for busted jackets and shirts, used to say: “You can’t have enough buttons.” She wasn’t talking about Elden Ring, but she also wasn’t Not Talking about Elden Ring.

The Edge’s two additional back buttons may seem tailor made for first-person shooters, in which removing either thumb from its analog stick can spell certain doom (more on that below), but they’re also a godsend in the best game of 2022. You can switch between spells and items by moving the D Pad Left and Right to the back buttons. This allows me to avoid halting my character during boss battles. If you didn’t know, this game has several of them. For the same purpose, you can move sprint/dodge from one of the circle buttons to the other.

Of the two interchangeable back-button options, I’ve stuck with the clicky half-dome variants. While the paddle options are still useful, they’re not as easy to use by accident and don’t feel nearly as good under my middle finger. Malenia!

Red Dead Redemption 2

Image: Rockstar Studios/Rockstar Games

It’s the classic tale. A veritable American myth. Arthur Morgan — gangster, thief, gentleman, and raconteur — ambles into the muddy thoroughfare of Valentine. There is a strong alcohol smell in the evening air. “Hey! Arthur Morgan,” the soon-to-be inhabitant of a pine coffin calls out. “People tell me you’re pretty quick with a pistol.” He draws his own trusty smoke wagon.

“That’s right,” Arthur grumbles back, before squaring his shoulders to his bothersome foe. “Even quicker, now that I can fine-tune my DualSense Edge’s analog sensitivity.” A shot rings out and a man greets the mud. The other man — Arthur Morgan, if that wasn’t clear — strolls into the sunset.

I’m a big fan of Red Dead Redemption 2. But I also can admit it, on a strictly mechanical level. it’s not great. Whether intentionally or not, it always feels like I’m directing Arthur’s movements, rather than actually controlling them, on horseback or in the close-quartered heat of a bank robbery. The Edge’s adjustable stick sensitivity alleviates those frustrations quite a bit — by swapping from the “Default” sensitivity to the “Precise” setting (there are six total options), Arthur’s floaty aiming now flits from enemy to enemy, without having to rely on the auto-aim function, which can make for boring gunfights.

The back buttons can also be very helpful. Red Dead 2The same reasons as for Elden Ring — the less time I have to spend cycling through items with the D-Pad, the better.)

Horizon Forbidden West

Image: Guerilla Games via Polygon

Like in Red Dead 2, Horizon Forbidden West benefits greatly from the Edge’s adjustable stick sensitivity. In this case, however, I found the “Steady” option, which prioritizes smooth and stable movement and aiming over twitchy flicks, to be the most useful. The “Steady” option allows me to adjust my aim for sniping specific parts from far away, and it also lets me control hip-firing as the enemy gets closer.

Final note: The back buttons here are also lifesavers. Do you see a pattern here? That’s what Aloy, the protagonist has done. Lot Guerilla Games had a wide range of weapons and tools at her disposal. Although they tried their best to accommodate them all on the normal controllers, I have never been able to move my thumb from the D-Pad in order to use a D-Pad health or explosive item during intense monster hunting. This issue is completely solved by the back buttons.

Modern Warfare 2: Call of Duty

Image by Infinity Ward/Activision via Polygon

Here’s where the Edge really starts to excel. These buttons, as well as the adjustable sensitivity options and back buttons, are very useful. However it is extremely convenient to be able to switch between profiles quickly.

The Xbox Elite Series 2 also has this ability, but the PlayStation 5’s pop-up menu makes the process a breeze. When holding down either of the “Function” buttons, (those paddles beneath each analog) I can then press a face button and switch to the corresponding profile. Using the profile titled “Forbidden West” will switch the analog sensitivity to “Steady” again, along with the fine-tuned dead zones and back-button inputs. Using the profile labelled “Red Dead” will swap back to the settings I deemed best for Arthur.

This function allows you to be even more precise: Modern Warfare 2: Call of DutyI adjusted the preset profiles according to my loadout in multiplayer. I can swap settings between a Machine Gunner (Sniper), Close-Quarters Assailant and more quickly. Modern Warfare 2 Allows me to change classes.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2

Fatshark via Polygon

It’s an almost five-year-old game that highlighted the DualSense Edge’s strengths the most vividly. The back buttons allow you to swap between potions and tomes as well as explosives, which was previously only possible with the D-Pad. And yes, the pre-set profiles are great for swapping not only between various characters, but various classes within each character’s lineup. The better part of Sunday I was upgrading Marcus Kruber. This involved switching between the Mercenary (Huntsman), and Foot Knight roles. Each one had its own analog sensitivities, and haptic feedback levels.

It’s a complicated game, though. of pushing, stabbing, bludgeoning, slicing, smashing, flailing, shooting, blocking, and impaling, I appreciated none of the Edge’s features more than the ability to adjust the R2 and L2 triggers’ “Stop” zones. To reduce the depth of each trigger’s “Stop” zones, lower the notches. Instead of swiping my halberd and hitting a trigger that is too deep, it means pressing a button at a shallower depth. This is a minor detail, but saves me a lot of stress on more difficult problems. You will find it much easier to enjoy the customizable trigger stops combined with custom profiles and additional button real estate. Warhammer: Vermintide 2’s intense brand of combat.