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Favorite Sony controller to date?

What's your favorite PlayStation controller to date?


  • Total voters
    287

ManaByte

Gold Member
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From the recent ones, the DualSense is probably my favourite controller not only among the Sony offerings but in general. I voted "PlayStation controller" though because I'm a nostalgic fuck. I loved steerings cars in Ridge Racer on the PSX with that thing.
 

Kabelly

Member
DualShock 3 , the original DS design was just perfect and it was easy to see why they kept using it for so long. Ds3 was last and best version.


8782533_sd.jpg
hell no. the sticks are terrible and the size is awkward. plus sixasis doesn't even come close to the gyro.
 

RCU005

Member
I feel the DualShock 4 is the most comfortable. The thing I hate about the Dualsense is the texture in the back. It’s a good Easter egg with the PS symbols but make it feel like shit when holding it. I wish it had some other kind of texture.
 

Unknown?

Member
Dualsense. Dualshock 4 was good but compared to the dualsense, it feels super cheap.

I hadn't used a DS4 in a couple years and holding one last week felt like a cheap 3rd party Mad Catz controller or fisher price. The materials may not be cheaper, but they feel that way at least.
 

dave_d

Member
Sixaxis because of how light it is and it’s the first controller from Sony with gyros and accelerometers. (Which I wished more games used for aiming) no I don’t care about rumble so I was happy they made it lighter by getting rid of it.
 

Holammer

Member
Every Sony controller was the peak of controller evolution when it came out, so the current favourite one is Dual Sense.
A good d-pad is important to me and the Sense's is fine . Haptics are very immersive and I hope Valve's recent haptics push will result in more games being compatible with the controller and use the tech.
 

Solidus_T

Member
As much as I like the Dualsense, nothing is touching the Dualshock 4. I hope they keep it around forever because it's the best controller I've used. I use it for every PC game I can as well.
 
Dualsense Edge.

The only bad things about it are the ones that everyone already knows. The battery life, the price and for some the lack of extra pair of paddles.

Everything else is pretty great.
 
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Lupin25

Member
The first time I used the dualsense on Astro’s Playroom it immediately took that top spot.

Awesome controller that just needs better battery life.
 
Don't know how anyone could like the DS4: terrible battery life, peeling rubber on the sticks, stupid and almost useless touch pad.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
My purple Dualsense. Looking forward to seeing how that new cobalt blue one looks in person.
 
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SenkiDala

Member
PS controller for the nostalgia. DualSense is great but its battery life is ridiculous, and everybody saying "it's ok I bought a 2nd controller that's always charging so I always have 1 controller ready" is insane.
 

R6Rider

Gold Member
DualSense is fantastic.

From how it feels to the features.

I only wish they released a back button attachment for it. Not really wanting to pay $200 for a controller.
 
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Famipan

Member
DS4 - Black, Charcoal Black, Dark Blue. All colors looks great on DS4.
I love the fact that I can play PS5 games on Steam with the DS4, but not on PS5 ;_;

I really dislike DualSense.
Worse batterylife. Heavier. Hands get strained.
Playing Soulsgames I can’t do Forward + R2 on the Sense. I think FromSoft’s stupid gyro+X for e-motes happens more often with the Sense than with the DS4.

The vibration is too high pitched, and riding the horse in TLOU2 must be done with DS4 to get proper low pitched vibration. I usually play without vibration anyway but it sucks that the large controller size is mostly due to all the vibration motors and triggers. But shutting off those doesn’t affect much of battery life IIRC.

The trigger effect is cool to try once in a while, but to be able to react fast I need triggers and vibration off.

The good:

Version 2 of Sense is a tiny bit lighter and the black one has nice very subtle blue color shades in it.
 
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DS4 - Black, Charcoal Black, Dark Blue. All colors looks great on DS4.
I love the fact that I can play PS5 games on Steam with the DS4, but not on PS5 ;_;

I really dislike DualSense.
Worse batterylife. Heavier. Hands get strained.
Playing Soulsgames I can’t do Forward + R2 on the Sense. I think FromSoft’s stupid gyro+X for e-motes happens more often with the Sense than with the DS4.

The vibration is too high pitched, and riding the horse in TLOU2 must be done with DS4 to get proper low pitched vibration. I usually play without vibration anyway but it sucks that the large controller size is mostly due to all the vibration motors and triggers. But shutting off those doesn’t affect much of battery life IIRC.

The trigger effect is cool to try once in a while, but to be able to react fast I need triggers and vibration off.

The good:

Version 2 of Sense is a tiny bit lighter and the black one has nice very subtle blue colors.
See for me its the opposite, the previous controllers felt like plastic toys.
 

Famipan

Member
See for me its the opposite, the previous controllers felt like plastic toys.
Lol, yeah Sense’s plastic feels premium and sturdy but DS4 feels better than my cheap SNES USB-pad if that makes sense. But all in all – video games ARE toys lol

I forgot to mention that the D-pad is superior on DS4. Try playing 2D metroidvania such as Hollow Knight or Blasphemous with the Sense. It’s not fun IMHO.
My first launch edition Sense had mushy D-pad but it’s not THAT much better on the V2 Sense.
Compare that to a V2 or V3 DS4 D-pad. So precise inputs!
 
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fart town usa

Gold Member
DualShock 3 , the original DS design was just perfect and it was easy to see why they kept using it for so long. Ds3 was last and best version.


8782533_sd.jpg
I like the DS3 too but those LT/R2 triggers... That design is awful, easily the worst L2/R2 for a DS controller, fingers slip off. Had to buy some snap on wing things.

The retrofighters DS3 is dope as f though. (I have a black one)

M5MYtiH.jpg


OT though,

My personal favorite are the DS2 and Dualsense. Overall is Dualsense though. It's such a comfy controller and it has so many great features.

VR Sense controllers are fantastic as well. Really clever design with how the wrist straps tighten and how your hands can slip through the controller and rest on your wrist. You then just tilt your hands down and the controllers slide right into place. Smart design when taking a break for a drink, need to move something, etc.

EwwqmQTWQAAii_R.jpg


Honorable mention goes to the (PS3) PSVR Move controller. It's hilarious and ingenious that Sony got these things to work as well as they do in VR. No analog stick at all of course, purely buttons. I love it.

1337 gamers only bruh. Here's a control layout for Skyrim on PSVR.

QRsKjff.jpg
 
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NewYork214

Member
Going with dualsense. Going to get the edge or the portal in November based on portal reviews of latency. Sure the edge would win if I tried it tho
 

Comandr

Member
DualShock 4 used to be my favorite. The DualSense is so much better. It’s slightly bigger with better ergonomics. I love the weight. It’s the perfect controller.
 

Raonak

Banned
Dualsense is the best controller I've ever used. High quality. Good layout. Buttons and stick feels good. Additional neat features.
 

Aenima

Member
Dualsense by a large margin. DS4 was decent too. All previous PS controllers have terrible ergonomics.
 

squarealex

Member
DualSense is better, except rumble.

By far, I prefer the Rumble of PS4 and... Analog Buttons on the PS2/PS3 (except triggers)
Also, classic logo buttons colored is better than "grey color"
 
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Paltheos

Member
As much as I'd like to say the DS4 because of how comfortable it is to hold and control, it has those dumb triggers in the back for L2/R2 instead of normal buttons. Gyro is also annoying too because I've kept my controller hooked up to my PC and it doesn't always turn off correctly.

My vote has to go to DS2. It's the best all-around, even if it's not as ergonomic as the DS4.

No opinion on the DualSenses because I've never used them.
 

JimRyanGOAT

Member
DualShock 3

No gimmicks, yes it was a bit uncomfortable , but the battery would last forever an d thats all I cared about
 

skit_data

Member
In terms of form factor it's Dualshock 4 for me, easily the most comfortable PS controller IMO.
Dualsense is just slightly too big for my hands.
Not a catashrophic issue, I only notice a slight strain on my index fingers after long sessions. I actually heard the guys at Sacred Symbols echoing the same sentiment so I don't think its just a me-problem.

But...

I really like the haptics in the Dualsense though. I always turned off vibration because it didn't add anything but annoyance. Haptics has much more versatility and range, from short transient sounds to longer continous signals that actually gel with the stuff you're hearing or seeing on screen. I remember it feeling wierd at first but when its well implemented its good stuff.
I liked the idea of the adaptive triggers and was hoping to see it used for similar stuff we saw in Returnal and Ratchet and Clank (my second favourite controller ever is the Gamecube controller, pretty wierd that 2-step implementation never really caught on even in Nintendos own consoles). The problem is that I can almost hear those small plastic gears getting worn down in real time. A more sturdy impression would've gone a long way.

TL;DR
A cheaper Dualshock 4-shaped/sized controller with haptics would be my pick for nr 1 PS controller. If have to pick one I might have to go with the Dualsense though simply because the haptics are so good when utilized properly (the pitter-patter of rain droplets in Returnal were so damn good and demonstrates the potential of haptics).
 

Pimpbaa

Member
All those people who voted for dualsense must not play 2D stuff or Fighting games. Its d-pad is damn near useless. Every PS4 fighting game and 2D game I have tried on my PS5 felt terrible to play. The amount of pressure you need to press down on the dualsense d-pad is ridiculous compared to the DS4.
 

Neolombax

Member
Edge. First controller I own that has paddles, those things are amazing to use. A bit on the heavier side though the controller.
 

Zuzu

Member
DualShock 4 is the most comfortable but the DualSense triggers and haptics add valuable features which put it alongside the DualShock 4 as the best. I wish they could've put the haptics and triggers of the DualSense into the body of the DualShock 4.
 
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