The DualSense Edge got a release date earlier this week, but real headline was its price tag. Realistically, we were expecting the 'pro' PS5 pad to sell for around £150 or so — that's pretty much the standard cost of comparable controllers — but it's actually going to be even more expensive. It's been pegged at $199.99 / €239.99 / £209.99 — and that ain't cheap.
Naturally, we published a poll on the subject, asking our community if they plan on buying a DualSense Edge, now that we know how much it's going to cost. The results of this poll were not exactly pretty.
Close to 4000 votes were cast, and a near-majority (46 per cent) said that they weren't at all interested in the controller. A further 19 per cent of users said they "probably" wouldn't be buying one, and then 23 per cent said they might, but only if they can find it at a cheaper price. That latter option seems logical to us.
Okay, so what about the people who said they'd snap a DualSense Edge up? Well, a mere 5 per cent of users said they'd be getting it day one, followed by another 5 per cent saying they'd "probably" make a purchase. The last 3 per cent went right down the middle, and said they were undecided.
Based on the poll, it's abundantly clear that most people probably won't be buying a DualSense Edge — at least not at launch, with that price tag attached. But then, we need to remember this controller is meant to be a premium product. It's priced the way it is because Sony expects to sell it to only the most hardcore PS5 players — the kind of market that almost all 'pro' controllers end up targeting.
Did the price tag put you off completely? Or were you uninterested to begin with? Push a few extra buttons in the comment section below.
[source News: Poll: Will You Buy the DualSense Edge PS5 Controller, Now We Have a Price?]
Comments 57
I read a fair analysis on this last night - It's very much for the hardcore fans (as this article notes) and the streamers. It's not really for the rest of us and we very much don't need it.
Most likely this should not be taken as an indication of the price for PSVR2 either. Sony need people to actually buy PSVR2 so they'll probably take a loss on it at launch to push adoption, as usual.
Saying all of that, I really want this controller 😂 €240.00 is painful though.
Well that's doesn't surprise me, you can get a switch lite for that price lol
But saying that, that's sonys MRP? If so then retailers might price the controller a bit less.
The price in Europe is higher due to the price inflation caused by the semiconductor shortages. So it's not Sony's fault.
@Milt Hahah ur havin a laugh son, its pure greed pure and simple.
I really don’t need the whole package, just the back buttons to map to L3 and R3, so I’m hoping Sony will release a back button attachment similar to what they had for the DualShock 4. Though with the DualSense Edge, Sony has no reason to make a back button attachment for the DualSense anymore.
Not really. Other electronic products from Sony have also risen their price tags.
It just feels like everything with PlayStation console gaming costs is getting wild. Everyone hit their peaks in 2020 and now anyone who stuck around is trying to be squeezed to keep those numbers afloat.
10% take up on such a premium product would be a huge success.
I suspect that only that high as this is a specialist site.
This is absolutely not designed to be for everyone, so thinking it should have 25% take up would be very silly!
10% of players will either definitely buy it day one, or probably buy it. The PS5 reported north of 22 million units sold at the end of July. It's probably safe to assume it's around 25 million by now (and will safely be climbing for a good long while).
2.5 million controllers sold would be half a billion dollars in sales (yes, $500,000,000). For a controller.
If this controller is not for you, that's okay. You should be okay with that fact. Sony certainly is. Because those are insane numbers. And they know it. It's a niche product. Owning everything is not a requirement for enjoyment of your life. There's no trophy or achievement for owning every PS5 peripheral. Move along.
I don't think it's really for the general hoi polloi, more for streamers and competitive 'pro' gamers.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with the regular DualSense, so stick with that and spend your money on games instead.
PlayStation are having a tough time.
Profits are lower. Costs are higher. And there's a hiring freeze that's been on since summer.
Anything they put out these days is gonna be priced high. Whether it'll be worth it is another matter.
@Shepherd_Tallon Wait, I thought these comments were all supposed to be 101 variations on “Sony is greedy” , mostly copied directly from the last article. You’re really mixing things up here by being reasonable.
It’s definitely a nice to have, not a need to have. Then again, everything gaming related is a nice to have, isn’t it.
That's the price of 4 day one PS5 games. 2 of those controllers cost as much as a PS5! Seems to be absurd unless you're a paid Pro gamer. Even then it's a question in how much advantage this controller will give you.
I'll pass
@Shepherd_Tallon While I agree that this isn't for most of us, it's a shame they haven't put together a product that is. There are many I feel who would like some back paddles, but not at such an exorbitant price.
Last gen the DualShock 4 Back Button attachment was an inexpensive way to do this. I think many were hoping the DualSense EDGE would be in a similar vein albeit as a whole controller.
As it is this is a niche product for the very few and it seems unlikely they will now fill that void as they want to upsell this.
@Amnesiac Well I'm almost 40 and the things I get worked up about have changed over the years 😂I've also worked in community management and marketing in the games industry for a while, so I'm fairly familiar with the thought process behind these things.
It's easy to say Sony are greedy, but usually a product like this, one that is unessential, is marked up so another can be sold a little lower. I'm convinced that the PS5 price increase is part of this too. This is why I'm expecting PSVR2 to be €400.00 - €500.00 max.
If I'm wrong I'll eat a banana and egg pizza.
@themightyant Fair point. I don't disagree. And I loved the back paddle on the DS4. Absolutely loved it.
With the cost of living crisis and other issues of the time, spending £209 pounds on a controller is a luxury that only a few could afford. That type of money would help a family try and keep warm and put food on the table. Sony are just being greedy.
@UltimateOtaku91 You can even get a XBox Series S (which also comes with a controller) in a sale for that price, at least based on the european price
OK I WANT TO CHANGE MY VOTING! If DualSense Edge WON'T BOTHER with constant "update notice" everyday, I'll buy it and throw standard DualSenses out of window...
Each time I force myself to update all my controllers, a new system update comes out and all controllers scream for new update. It is soooo fu(king annoying...
@SpaceDonkey
1) It is CLEARLY not for everyone, that's what the pricing LITERALLY means.
2) You literally don't know how much it cost to research, develop, nor manufacture.
3) There are corporate bean counters whose entire job it is is to measure sales prices and profit margins. They get paid waaaay more than you - random speculator on the internet - to figure out the sweet spot for the sales price versus sales numbers on this thing. Clearly this is what they think they need to turn a profit.
And look at the projected numbers. Even if only 5% of prospective buyers pick one up, they'd still be making around a quarter billion in sales. That's not nothing. For a controller, no less.
I like the concept of a premium controller. Own the Elite V2 on day 1 but seeing this being $200 USD and me being Canadian, this could be like $250 before tax and that’s a hefty price. Will def wait for reviews and videos of the controller before considering if I want one
Hmm, I think I'll buy 2 of these xD
Never understood the appeal of these premium and pricey controllers but I guess there are people out there that love them.
If Sonys standard controller was less prone to issues such as stick drift I could consider this one more but I won't be throwing more money at them when they can't seem to get the current controller right. As it is way too expensive and in my opinion unnecessary.
Removed - flaming/arguing
@Milt how many semiconductors are actually in a controller though? Not many at all I'd guess.
Whew! That's quite the pricetag.
I am definitely not the target audience as I m a single player guy. Default controllers with default control schemes are my jam.
I hope those who do get it enjoy it and it helps them "up their game" enough to warrant the cost.
It’s for whales. Same people who buy the most expensive edition of every game and would buy Horzion remastered.
Watched the trailer. Seemed to be maxing out at 24fps for me. Unacceptable. Pre-order cancelled and PlayStation 5 Brady’ed out the window.
@PhantomMenace84 if you care about competitive play you should be playing on PC honestly.
@Shad361
But PC is a double edged sword in that regard, since cheating is rampant in many PC titles. Part of the reason I usually turn off cross play on most games.
It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t scenario.
Also this thing is overpriced. A “hardcore” controller doesn’t need variable assist triggers or even motion inputs.
They could have cut out those two features from the Dualsense it’s based on and sold the controller much cheaper. Like 170.
@MFTWrecks "Owning everything is not a requirement for enjoyment of your life. There's no trophy or achievement for owning every PS5 peripheral. Move along."
Well said. I feel the exact same way when people complain about remakes, or DLC in games. You really don't have to buy it and it's not necessarily meant for you.
@Mince "They cant even design an attractive next gen console 😂 let alone sensibly price a controller."
It's all relative. For me, the ps5 is the best looking home console to date, with the shiny/original ps3 coming second. Even if you're talking about consensus, it's hard to tell if you're only looking at online comments.
Completely cut me off. As a matter of fact, I never was going to get it so as long as my included controller works fine.
I’m gaming since the days of NES and never had a controller fail so like I said, was never getting one anyway regardless.
@Poisonedpillsuk 5% would still be a quarter billion dollars or more.
They're okay if not everyone buys it. If they wanted everyone to buy it, they'd have priced it far far lower. End of story.
@CastelloGG eXtremeRate have a nice back button add in. Only took me about an hour to install, that included a few drinks and looking for my butane soldering iron! Very easy to program, the buttons feel way better (to me at least) than the ds4 and less bulky. I see they have a 4 button and a few other things as well
@BeerIsAwesome Haha, I'm impressed with it! Has features I wish other "pro" gamepads had with the UI integration. Only things it is missing for me is the ability for offset or symmetrical sticks and 6 face buttons like the Thrustmaster. I only ever need 2 back buttons for console games, so I'm fine with that. I have an Elite, Thrustmaster and 2 Razers and am looking forward to seeing how the Edge compares
I will never pay that much for 1 controller. I can get 4 normal dualsenses with that money. Yes i know 1 dualsense is about 69-75€ but i would get 4 for 250€ price tag for sure
They're f*@£ing HOW MUCH! 😲 Don't get me wrong, I'm not against paying for something if I think it's worth it, but £210 for a bloody controller? They can whistle. I've got 3 standard ones as it is, pretty sure that even at £150 it'd be too much for my tastes...
The more I see from the DualSense Edge, the more im leaning towards buying the Victrix Pro BFG. It looks like it has DualSense Edge beat at every level except for the DualSense features. And it cost a little less than Edge.
Its cheaper than a SCUF. So, yeah, nobody that was no already in the market for a high end controller will be buying one. What people buy who are in the market for $200+ controllers are who will decide...no these common crumb-crushers who whine about $70 controllers.
Too right. Gives me no hope for the PS VR2.
@CastelloGG Same, I just want those back buttons. Sony messed up when they didn’t put them on the original DualSense. I really want this thing, but $200 is bananas 🍌
@SpaceDonkey do you have the newest XB Elite controller or a PS5 custom scuff one? How about a OLED TV when it first came out at $4000?
If you answered No - then yeah, it’s not targeted for you. It’s not like suddenly the market is waning to satiate a larger proportion of gamers, the key demographic hasn’t drastically changed. This coming on the heels as the high end monitors and headphones roll out too - do you have those? See the connection here?
Just wait for it to come down if you don’t want to pay for it. …… like everything else. I can more then easily afford this - but I won’t buy it because I don’t value it - it’s not intended for me.
@-Sigma- Oh boy, I didn't even know about this Victrix Pro BFG. It covers a few things that would have been cool on the Edge, asymmetrical stick option and 6 face buttons. Sadly it looks like pre orders are already full, definitely going to snag this when I can though.
Another L for Sony
As I've said before, hard pass for me. I decided to invest in the God of War Controller instead plus some games.
Somebody needs to tell them that ***** batteries and high costs are not what people are looking for.
@PhantomMenace84 I wish I had your optimism!
One problem is that the PSVR2 will not have backwards compatibility with the PSVR, so the back catalogue of games isn't there to make up for loss leading on the sale of the accessory/console.
They may end up launching with a handful of titles, so need to recoup costs.
Additionally, like many corporations (who are driving inflation) they've seen the prices people are willing to pay for consoles on CraigsList and eBay and want to charge as much as they can. I'll bet the era of loss-leading is behind us.
You've gotta be either crazy or have too much money to buy a video game controller that costs nearly half as much as the console itself, and over 3x the amount of a AAA game that spent years and years in development. Sony has been extremely greedy for the past several years in port much every aspect.
Tad bit on the expensive side........should be £50 cheaper. Thats comming from someone who spent over £1000 for a game specific controller in the past (beatmania IIDX)
Those saying that this is a premium product not for regular gamers are contributing to an increasing problem developing in gaming - introduction of a class system. And letting Sony off the hook for high pricing in the process.
I always looked at gaming as an inclusive hobby but these days it just seems as class tiered and profit driven as any other. Sad really.
@PhantomMenace84 my "best case scenario" is they keep it about the price of a PS5, which seems reasonable.
@PhantomMenace84 By Sony's own words they said they were making a profit off the PS5 base unit as late as the start of this year long after increases in hinger inflation had been happening. Was Sony lying to their investors back in early 2022? Because there is no way with inflation and seeing certain parts having pricing drops in tech if you look into pricing PC parts, that inflation added over $100 to $150 to the build cost. That is what you are saying if we are to believe they are still taking a loss after raising console prices up to $50 more. And that is not even taking into account how much profit they (again their own statements said it profitable) were actually were making on each PS5 base.
Now, I agree the PS AD was a money loser if the base unit was earlier being sold at a profit, That 4KBRdrive+cage+molding (plus other incidentals like BR licensing's) is around $30 means the PS5 AD was having Sony take a hit of around $70 loss on each sale if the PS5 was sold at cost but again it was being sold at profit. But, that loss was from the very start of the gen nothing to do with inflation. That is why you see 1 PS AD for every 4 or 5 PS5 base units being made. When it would be the reverse (more PS5 AD, less PS5 base) if Sony's goal is to sell digital not physical. But that loss was already built in to their plans at the $100 differential. And if anything the fact the it doesn't have as much internal parts that would be affected by inflation (i.e. 4kBR) that means that build cost to MSRP could have actually shrunk that loss over the PS5 base unit. Say that loss was $70 but now that BR4K costs Sony $35 that means their PS5 AD is now a $65 loss to the PS5 base not the $70 it once was. All because the PS5 AD otherwise isn't adding parts to the build but subtracting parts from the build, parts that may have been affected by inflation.
Elite controller is $250 over here so I expected that price range. It’s unfortunate but I figure it’s about 2x full priced games ($120) so meh.
I'm interested, but not at that price. For some games, especially FPS I hate the haptic triggers on the standard PS5 controller.
It is cheaper than some of the scuff controllers and tbh the same people unimpressed with the price wouldn't buy a scuff either. I'll buy it to compare to both my black and white elite series 2 controllers and use it on my pc and ps5, I like how you can remove the analogue stick modules and easily replace them for £20. I doubt it's going to be superior to the elite series in regards to button customisation but time will tell. All it needs to do is be better than a scuff controller and it's a winner. It's £40-£50 more expensive than an elite series with all the accessories so it's not a crazy price really. The elite series core is £115 with out the paddles etc with them it's £160. Most of the people complaining about it arw only doing so because they can't afford it as those who can will likely already have a scuff so wouldn't be surprised by the £200 price tag especially those of us that have just dropped £2100 down on a RTX 4090
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...