Sony PlayStation DualSense review: A surprisingly awesome PC controller

Our Verdict

Feature-rich, stylish, comfortable, and precise, the Sony Dual sense is a triumph of game controller design, and it offers decent value as well. It’s a pain to get it working on a gaming PC, but it’s worth the effort.

Reasons to buy

• Fantastic haptic feedback and adaptive triggers
• Integrated touchpad
• Great build quality and comfort

Reasons to avoid

• Requires third-party software to work in Windows
• No option to swap battery
• Headphone socket doesn’t work on PC

Like the DualShock 4 before it, the Sony DualSense immediately bumps up against a major issue when it comes to use on a (Windows) PC, which is that Sony hasn’t produced official Windows drivers to give the controller full native support. Don’t let that put you off, though, as this is a fantastic controller for PC gaming if you can get past this hurdle.

Indeed, if you’re prepared to put in the work, this reasonably-priced Sony pad is one of the best PC controller options you can buy right now. It will work if you just plug it straight into your PC as well, but instead of providing support for the modern XInput system used in modern games, it only offers DirectInput support, as used in older games. Plenty of games will still support it but many others won’t.

Specs

Design

The evolution of the Sony DualShock controller design, which has seen it go from a rather small, uncomfortable shape to a fuller, rounded design akin to that of the Xbox Controller over time, continues with the DualSense controller for the PS5.

The sides have filled out and are more rounded compared to the DualShock 4, the grips taper to a finer point at the back, and the top section with the touchpad has grown too. It makes for a supremely comfortable controller to hold in your hand, which even surpasses the latest Xbox Controller for general comfort and versatility of grip.

Build quality is also excellent, with an attractive smooth plastic on the top surface and a lightly speckled pattern on the underside for better grip. The controls all feel sturdy and precise in action too. You don’t get the absolute crispness of button response you get on premium gamepads, but they’re distinct enough to provide good feedback.

Features

The DualSense is simply packed with features, including a touchpad and analog adaptive triggers, with the latter meaning the pad responds to variable pressure on the triggers. This can be handy in racing sims, where you want more flexibility than either all acceleration or none at all, and it’s a feature not found on some controllers, including the Nintendo Switch Pro.

Some of the other features are also handy if you own a PlayStattion, but aren’t useful for PC gaming. Up front is a socket for your headphones, for example, which is a really useful addition for sofa gaming with your PS5, but it sadly doesn’t work on PCs. The built-in speaker can also take over voiceover duties, though, providing a further sense of immersion.

The built-in battery means the DualSense is easier to charge than an Xbox controller too, but changing the battery is a pain. The new Xbox Controller’s option of using either AAs or a rechargeable unit is more versatile.

Performance

Your first challenge when using the Sony DualSense for PC gaming is getting it to cooperate with your games. If you’re struggling with a game that doesn’t have the aforementioned DirectInput support, then the second workaround is to use emulation software such as DS4Windows to convert the DirectInput signals to XInput.

You just need to load the software, run it in the background, and it will provide full support for all Windows activities. It will even enable you to use the DualSense’s touchpad as a normal laptop touchpad, so you don’t need a separate mouse in a living room PC setup.

There’s one final caveat to using this controller on a PC, which is that, even with full emulation, the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers (the key additions of this controller over the DualShock 4) only work when connected via a cable and not via Bluetooth. Plus, they only work in a handful of games.

When they do work, though, they really do elevate this controller above any other controller at this price. Each step your character takes in Deathloop, for instance, is accompanied by a gentle haptic buzz that changes with the terrain or your pace. It genuinely adds an extra level of immersion. Meanwhile, the changing resistance of the triggers revolutionizes the feel of accelerating, and particularly braking, in racing games.

Price

The Sony DualSense offers tremendous value for the build quality and features on offer. The Sony DualSense price is just $74.99, but you can often find it cheaper in deals. That’s undoubtedly a hefty amount of money compared to a budget controller, but it’s a very reasonable price for such a well-made, comfortable controller with so many features.

Verdict

Playing PC games on the Sony DualSense isn’t always straightforward, but the fantastic adaptive triggers and haptic feedback really elevate the DualSense above most other controllers at this price when it comes to sheer gaming immersion.

Add in the fantastic comfort levels, superbly accurate controls, and a design that works well with a variety of grip styles, and you have a truly fantastic controller. You have to jump through hoops to make it work properly on your PC but the results are worth the effort.