Sony just revealed the details of its DualSense Edge wireless controller, so it’s quite natural to compare what it offers with the existing Xbox Elite Controller Series 2.
Price
Of course, the most visible difference is the pricing. Sony’s Offering is the most expensive, priced at $199.99/€239.99. On the other hand,
Microsoft’s offering is more affordable, priced at $179.99/€159.99. The Elite controller also has a “Core” option for $129.99/€129.99, which is even more affordable but doesn’t get all the bells and whistles out of the box.
Specifically, the Core option is lacking interchangeable thumbsticks, interchangeable paddles, interchangeable D-pad, charging dock and USB-C cable, and the carrying case. You can purchase them separately to “upgrade” your controller to the full package for $59.99/€59.99, and that would still be cheaper than the DualSense Elite. It’s worth mentioning that the gap is even bigger if you’re in Europe.
Another aspect to keep in mind is that the Xbox Elite Controller is fully compatible and configurable on Windows PC. On the other hand, we still don’t have solid information about the extent of compatibility the DualSense Elite will enjoy on your computer.
Another element that is still largely unknown for the upcoming PS5 controller is the battery life, while Microsoft claims 40 hours for the Elite.
Customization Options
Buttons are remappable on both controllers, and both have quick-swap features for the profiles you set.
The DualSense Edge lets you adjust stick sensitivity, stick dead zones, and trigger dead zones on top of vibration intensity. That being said, we’re still a bit vague on how this will be done and how granular your control will be.
You get the same features with the Elite Controller, and we already know that the Xbox Accessories App provides you with an extreme level of personalization on all these elements, both on Xbox and PC.
Both controllers come with three options for the trigger locks (they’re even placed in identical positions on the back of the controller), letting you choose between a long, medium, or shorter run.
The Xbox offering offers the option to adjust the tension of the thumbsticks, which isn’t available on the PlayStation offering. On the other hand, the DualSense lets you replace the whole stick modules, which means that a drifting or damaged stick won’t be a massive problem (each costs $19.99/€24.99 to replace)
Another rather sizable difference is that the DualSense Edge has only two mappable buttons on the back, while the Elite has four. On the other hand, the former has two different designs for these buttons (paddles and triggers) while the latter has only paddles of different sizes.
In terms of thumbstick shapes, both come with three options. The Xbox version has concave, dome, and tall concave sticks. The PlayStation version takes the opposite approach, having concave, dome, and tall dome sticks.
The Elite Series 2 also has two swappable D-Pad options, while the Edge has 2. Playstation includes a connector housing for your USB with a locking feature, so you can’t accidentally disconnect your controller if that’s an issue for you.
Both controllers come with carrying cases equipped with the ability to charge them when they’re stored.
Default DualSense Features
Of course, there is another aspect to keep in mind, which goes beyond the bells and whistles added on top of the basic controllers, and it’s the features of the basic controllers themselves.
The DualSense Edge comes with everything that is included in a basic DualSense, which for many, could balance out the higher price point. Namely, you get the full advanced haptics suite and the touchpad on the front, which are not included on the Xbox counterparts.
At the moment, we still have a few elements missing about the DualSense Edge to draw a full conclusion on the features offered by the two controllers, namely the extent of PC compatibility, the battery life, and the customization software.
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