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

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

However, if you’re anything like me, you’ve been spending quite a bit of time with the PlayStation 5. I’ve been doing just that for the past four days, trying out a variety of games (new and old) to see if DualSense makes for an upscale Edge experience. And while I certainly don’t think the new alternative is necessary for fun sessions in the Wild West, The Lands Between, or the Old World, I’ve found that Edge makes some of my favorite PlayStation games more fluid.

Below, I’ve rounded up the five games I’ve played with the Edge to show how the console’s features removed small hiccups, resolved input issues, and delivered a cleaner overall experience.

Elden Ring Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

As my late grandmother, a talented seamstress and constant fixer of button-down shirts and jackets, said: You can never have too many buttons. She wasn’t talking about the Elden Ring, but she also wasn’t talking about the Elden Ring.

Edge’s two extra back buttons may seem tailor-made for first-person shooters, where removing either thumb from the analog stick can spell certain doom (more on that below), but they’re also a godsend in the best game of 2022. Via Moving the D-Pad Left and D-Pad Right inputs to the corresponding back buttons, I can switch between items, spells, and spells without stopping my character for a crucial split second during heated boss fights. (This game, if you weren’t aware, has two pairs.) You can also move the sprint/evade function from the circle button to one of the back buttons for the same reason.

Of the two interchangeable button-back options, I stuck with the half-dome interchangeable variants. The paddle versions, while still useful, are easier to press on by accident, and nowhere near as satisfying under my middle fingers. Speaking of middle fingers: Damn you, Malinia.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Photo: Rockstar Studios / Rockstar Games

It’s the classic tale. A true American legend. Arthur Morgan – a gangster, thief, gentleman and major – wanders the Muddy Road on Valentine’s Day. The evening air is thick with the smell of alcohol. “Oh! Arthur Morgan,” shouted a nearby pine coffin inhabitant. “People tell me you’re very fast with a gun.” He draws his smoke wagon.

“That’s right,” Arthur grumbled, before patting his shoulders at his troublesome opponent. “Even faster, I can now adjust the DualSense Edge’s analog sensitivity.” A shot rang out and a man saluted the clay. The other guy – Arthur Morgan, if that wasn’t obvious – strolls into the sunset.

I’m a big fan of Red Dead Redemption 2, but I can also admit that it’s not great on a purely mechanical level. Whether intentionally or not, I always feel like I’m directing Arthur’s movements, rather than actually controlling them, on horseback or in the heat of a bank robbery. The Edge’s adjustable stick sensitivity alleviates those frustrations a bit — by switching from the “default” sensitivity to the “exact” setting (there are six options total), Arthur’s floating target now flies from enemy to enemy, without having to rely on the auto-aim function , which can make battles tedious.

(The back buttons are extremely useful in Red Dead 2 for the same reason as they are in Elden Ring – the less time I spend cycling between items with the D-Pad, the better.)

Horizon Forbidden West Image: Guerilla Games via Polygon

As in Red Dead 2, Horizon Forbidden West benefits greatly from the adjustable stick sensitivity. However, in this case, I found the “steady” option, which prioritizes smooth, stable motion and aims for choppy clicks, to be the most useful option. It allows me to fine-tune my aim when clipping a specific part of the machine at a distance, but also allows for hip shooting when the same enemy closes the distance.

Finally, the back buttons are a life saver here, too. (Have you seen a pattern yet?) I get that heroine Aloy has plenty of gadgets and weapons at her disposal, and the designers at Guerilla Games did their best to fit them all on a regular controller, but moving my thumb to the D-Pad was for a health item or explosive trap while on a hunt. Intense monsters are always less than ideal. Back buttons completely solve this problem.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Image: Infinity Ward/ Activision via Polygon

Here is where The Edge really begins to excel. The aforementioned backlit buttons and adjustable sensitivity options are all well and good, but the ability to switch between preset profiles on the fly is very useful.

The Xbox Elite Series 2 also has this capability, but the PlayStation 5’s pop-up menu makes the process very easy. When holding down any of the “function” buttons, (those paddles below each analog) I can press the face button and switch to the corresponding profile. Using a profile named “Forbidden West” will switch the analog sensitivity to “Steady” again, along with the adjusted dead zones and back button inputs. Using the profile called “Red Dead” will revert back to the settings I consider best for Arthur.

You can get even more specific with this function: In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, I changed all four preset profiles based on the gear I was using in multiplayer. This allows me to switch between perfect settings for Sniper, Machine Gunner, Close-Quarters Assailant, and so on, just as quickly as Modern Warfare 2 lets me switch classes.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Fatshark via Polygon

It’s a nearly five-year-old game that has highlighted the DualSense Edge’s strengths even more clearly. Yes, the rear buttons again allow easy switching between potions, binders and explosives previously lowered to the D-Pad. And yes, the preset profiles are great for switching between not only different characters, but different classes within each character’s lineup. I spent the better part of Sunday upgrading Marcus Cropper, constantly switching between Mercenary, Huntsman, and Foot Knight professions, each of which blossomed with different analog sensitivities and tactile feedback intensities.

But in a game that involves quite a bit of pushing, stabbing, clubbing, slashing, smashing, sabotaging, shooting, blocking, and hanging, I appreciated none of the Edge’s features more than the ability to set R2 and L2 triggers to “stop” zones by lowering notches next to each trigger. At their lowest, the triggers stop at about a quarter of the way in their usual depth.Swinging my halberd no longer means blending a deep trigger over and over, but rather hitting a shallow button over and over.It sounds simple, but it saves my fingers a lot of stress on the higher difficulties. Customizable trigger stops, along with custom profiles and an extra button stream, make it easier than ever to enjoy Warhammer: Vermintide 2’s intense brand of combat.

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