Fond as I am of my trusty mouse and keyboard, I sadly can’t put my feet up and kick back in my setup like I can using a controller. While sacrilegious to some, there are also some styles of game that I flat-out prefer playing with a pad. More often than not on my PC, I reach for my PlayStation DualSense. Don’t let its name fool you, this is the best mainstream option on the market and a recent Black Friday price makes it an ideal time to pick one (or two) up.
PlayStation DualSense controller
DualSense offers immersive haptic feedback, dynamic adaptive triggers and a built-in microphone, all integrated into an iconic design.
I personally own several of the stock ‘White’ DualSense, which is currently available with a 28% ($20.99) discount making it yours for $54. That’s the most affordable the controller’s ever been on the storefront in the United States. Meanwhile, UK shoppers can enjoy a welcome 36% (£22.58) off, taking the pad’s price down to £39.99. The cost hasn’t been lower all year, and is just £1 shy off the all-time low.
However, should you feel a tad more adventurous in your choice of colour, there are several options worth a look. ‘Midnight Black’ will undoubtedly bring back memories of PlayStation eras past. ‘Cosmic Red’ is my personal pick of the lot, with ‘Chroma Pearl’ coming close-second. All colourways I just mentioned are similarly available at its lowest ever price in the US.
Sensible as it seems on the surface to opt for a Microsoft Xbox Series controller for your PC, there are indisputable advantages in opting for PlayStation DualSense. This pad in hand, you’ll be able to access haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in a growing number of games. I cannot overstate how amazing it feels to play titles with these features, whether I’m feeling the heavy rainfall in Returnal or the tension of my bowstring in Horizon: Forbidden West. That’s not forgetting its built-in speaker too.
DualSense even boasts a built-in microphone, whose quality will surprise you in a pinch should you forget to charge your headset. For those with wired headphones, you can even plug your cans right into the pad for a semi-wireless experience away from your system.
While there’s no directional pad that pleases all, I personally much prefer the DualSense’s design to that of a Series controller. Similarly, the shape and weight of the PlayStation pad fits perfectly into my hand with its slightly rougher back providing suitable friction to mitigate any potential slips.
The only downside of using DualSense on PC is that there’s no way to connect it via 2.4GHz, with Bluetooth being your only wireless option. In my experience, this hasn’t presented any issues, but you can of course plug it in with a USB Type-C cable for a wired means of connectivity.