Anyone who has been lucky enough to get their fingers in a PS5 will agree that the DualSense controller along with its super-fast SSD is one of the best features of the console.
Despite the fact that Sony’s PS5 DualSense has pushed the boundaries of modern gamepads to a whole new level, it still has a few setbacks that could have been solved with a more premium model.
While Sony still refuses to play ball, we have gathered several reasons why we think a PS5 pro controller would make sense. Maybe, just maybe, we can even manifest one in existence.
The life of the DualSense battery could be improved
Since the release of the PS5, the DualSense gamepad is considered to be one of the best controllers in gaming, even winning a online voting as part of the latest BAFTA Games Awards.
And it’s easy to see why it’s so highly respected when you take a closer look at the features that make up the generational leap between DualSense and the PS4’s DualShock 4.
THE BEST CONTROLLER EVER TOURNAMENT (our friendly competition!) Is over and you’ve found the ultimate winner with DualSense taking the crown 🥇🎮 Reminder: you can watch the #BAFTAGames Awards on April 7, 2022 on all major social and online media online platforms pic.twitter.com/wGH5zKdosIMarch 27, 2022
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, until we’re blue in the face: The inclusion of haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in the DualSense controller has been one of the biggest highlights of the latest generation of gaming consoles.
But the PS5 controller is by no means perfect and has its fair share of flaws. Currently, one of the biggest issues that PlayStation gamers tend to encounter is having to deal with DualSense’s mediocre battery life, which varies greatly between six to 12 hours of playing time. Frustratingly, it also seems that the aforementioned adaptive triggers and haptic feedback have the biggest impact on the controller’s battery life.
Even if you have the choice between turning off adaptive triggers and haptic feedback or at least reducing their intensity, it’s a shame to have to resort to depriving yourself of one of the best parts of gaming on a PS5 just to get a little more juice when playing.
The market wants a PS5 Pro controller
As Sony still seems reluctant to create a Pro version of its DualSense controller, third-party maker Scuf has stepped in to save the day. Currently, Scuf PlayStation offers players a choice of three gamepads: Scuf Reflex, Reflex Pro and Reflex FPS – all embellished with slightly varying specifications.
And despite their relatively high cost of $ 199.99 / $ 229.99 / $ 259.99, the Scuf PS5 pro controller proves that there is a huge demand for a premium PS5 controller. So much so that all three variants of Scufs gamepads are sold out and are still sold out almost a month after their first release.
All three of Scufs PS5 pro controllers include interchangeable paddles and interchangeable thumbsticks. This gives players more flexibility in redistributing key actions to different button inputs to best suit their playing style.
Given the price and appeal of the Scuf gamepads, it’s obvious that should it ever be released, an elite controller of the PlayStation brand would probably not be aimed at the average console player. Instead, it would cater to a smaller, more dedicated section of PS5 owners who play online first-person shooter games such as Call of Duty: Warzone or Destiny 2, where enhanced hardware can give players a competitive edge.
However, if you’re like me and spend most of your time playing story-driven games like Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga or Resident Evil: Village, chances are you do not really need a PS5 pro controller . Still, I would not say no to a controller that has longer battery life than the original DualSense and offers more flexibility.
Xbox has had pro pads for years
Parents and schoolteachers spend a significant portion of our childhood telling us that just because someone else is doing something does not mean you have to do it yourself. While that’s generally good advice when it comes to jumping off rocks, I could not disagree more in this scenario.
Microsoft’s original Xbox Elite Wireless Controller and its successor have been available for years and are proof that console gamers want an upgrade to the original gamepad – even if it costs a premium.
In our review of the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, we mentioned how it gives users a more powerful design centered around customization right down to the system level. This means that Xbox owners can freely adjust everything from pin sensitivity to vibration and brightness, in addition to having four extra back buttons to assign different actions to.
While it may seem like a challenge to build on the already amazing DualSense controller, I do not think it’s too strange to ask for an official pro-level PS5 gamepad from Sony that offers the same level of customization as the Xbox Elite controllers.
It’s unclear why Sony does not want to follow suit, honestly, as many of the biggest games on PlayStation are competitive online games. Although the release of the admittedly clumsy DualShock 4 back-button connection to the PS4 was better late than never, it is currently not compatible with the PS5. A PS5 version of this peripheral device would at least be a step in the right direction, at least until Sony hopefully decides to make its own pro-pad.