Phil Spencer Praises PS5 DualSense, Says There's More Work To Do With The Xbox Controller

The dualsense is a nice controller but since moving to Series X I can't say I've missed its features. After the third time I experienced the rain on the controller on Astro Bot I no longer noticed it, similar to how I haven't noticed the HD Rumble on Switch in years and I found the triggers to be quite annoying at times. I much prefer the Series X controller overall

Having the choice of real batteries or recharge and replaceable is better. Because you have the choice.
As for the series x controller, the below is better than the dual sense, I have a PS5 as well.
The fit in hand is perfect
The joysticks not in line but at angle is perfect
The triggers are perfect.
The button lay out is perfect.

But definitely yes, Microsoft should have put some more innovations into the controller, the triggers and haptic feed back is very good when used correctly in the dual sense.

I'm a big fan of the dualsense, for my money its the best controller ever made, however I do think some of the features of it are a bit overhyped. The haptics are amazing but the adaptive triggers, while innovative and sound in theory, got old real quick for me. Think I turned them off the first week and haven't put them back on since.

@Residentsteve01 I only just found out Series X remote still require these by default! Blows my mind that you have to buy a recharge pack separately.

While haptic feedback is a cool feature. Offset joysticks is just the way to for shooters. Makes for better grip and less finger bumping. I also like concave vs convex on the joysticks for thumb grip. The Xbox triggers and d-pad is much better as well. Glad Sony finally dumped the PS1 era dualshock design though and is adopting a closer to Xbox style form factor. Was a smart move by Nintendo as well with their pro controller.

@Dezzy70 Very much agree with what you are saying. Xbox controller is still the long reigning king. But yes, Microsoft should adopt some of the innovations brought by competitors.

Dual Sense is overhyped. Just make a better quality version of the Elite controller.
DS is more a marketing thing. People are turning it off in competitive multiplayer and get bored of it after half an hour in solo play.

@redd214 I haven't done it myself, but how does turning off the Adaptive Triggers work for games that require it's usage for certain game functionality?

I like the adaptive triggers when there is a functional reason for it - like having clear resistance for a half-press for one action, and then a full press for another action; but for the sake of "immersion" makes zero sense to me. It just seems like another thing to weaken and break eventually.

I can take or leave the Haptics. Rumble of any kind, to me, is just another thing to kill battery power. I always wonder who thought it was a good idea to make a controller shake when you play games.

I mean, we have had rumble for years now; but I never really thought "wow this really immerses me in the game!".

The Xbox controller is probably the worst because it can get to be so loud!

@GamingFan4Lyf I honestly don't think there are any games that actually "require" the adaptive triggers. They can be completly turned off on a system level somewhere in the settings. I have a bunch of games that use them, but have never had an issue where I couldn't progress in a game because they were off. I may be incorrect but hasn't been a problem for me personally

@Trmn8r
The series x controller just fits and works ergonomically better all round.
The dual sense is good though, the most annoying part of the duel sense is the position of the PlayStation home button, in between the two joysticks. Not a good position, always seems awkward to push and the joysticks get in the way.

It’s not a good job from Sony if their Dualsense controller drifts a lot like Nintendo joy cons

Phil Spencer Just do it

@redd214 Well, I guess "required" is a little too strong.

But like Ratchet & Clank has the feature where a half-press does one kind of shot, and a full-press does the alternate shot. Without the resistance of a half-pull of the trigger, it seems like it would be a little more awkward.

I think Returnal had the same thing with where you sight aim (and I believe charge certain weapons) with a half-press and then fire with a full-press.

The resistance of the adaptive triggers for this particular feature, to me, would reduce stress on my fingers when I press the triggers since I can easily rest my finger on the trigger due to the resistance. Having zero resistance seems like it would require more dexterity - I have to exercise more hand control to maintain the half press.

@anoyonmus Nowhere near as bad as the joy-cons bud lol

@GamingFan4Lyf I played through R&C without issue, no real problems that I can remember.

Completely agree with Phil on this. DualSense is a great controller with some impressive technology. It seems petty to deny it. Xbox controller is not bad, but objectively it is missing any improvements in 10 years.. ergonomic or control options.

Yea, the Dualsense is an excellent controller, I'm only disappointed in the battery life but considering all it does, I guess it makes sense. I'd love to see Xbox adopt some of those features.

I’m torn between which controller I like better.

I like the grippy texture of the Xbox controller along with the smaller size. I’m not a fan of how crazy the rumble on it is. The offset sticks still feel weird to me.

I like the haptic feedback of the DS and the symmetrical sticks but it is a little bigger and heavier.

They both have pros and cons for me but it would be cool if Xbox implemented so new features into the controller.

@The_New_Butler @Residentsteve01

I very much prefer batteries. As I've had to tell others, the fact that Xbox still use batteries means I've not had to use an xbox pad wired up since the early 360 days. Wii U, Switch, PS3 and PS4, there's always a point where my controller is near death and I have to wire up to keep going.

And since I do have TV remotes and endless amounts of children's toys around the house, I have a battery charger and a healthy supply of rechargeable AAs about.

@The_New_Butler seconded, I also prefer to have AA rechargeable batteries rather than a non replaceable battery pack.

@Residentsteve01 Personally when I compare my Switch controllers ( that don’t have batteries) to my Xbox controllers ( with batteries) I find I prefer my Xbox controller. When my joycons die I can’t play with them and when my pro controller dies I’m tethered to my dock. Swapping the batteries ( or rechargeable battery packs that I use ) sucks when they die in the middle of a game but it’s an easy swap and I’m not tethered to the Xbox.

@Royalblues I totally agree, gyro aiming on the Switch (when done right) is absolutely brilliant. I actually waited for Doom Eternal on the Switch purely because I find the gyro aiming so satisfying.

I really hope the Xbox controller gets updated with a gyro module because if developers start implementing gyro aiming on the PS5 it’s going to make multi-platform shooters much more attractive on there. That said, developers seem to be completely oblivious to the fact that Sony’s last three controllers have had a gyroscope module, even though they often implement gyro aiming in the same game on the Switch!

I have a PS5 and DualSense is overrated imo. More than that, it was downright annoying in R&C, and Astro's Playroom. It rumbles literally every second of gameplay, and doesn't sync up properly part of the time. For example, every single step Ratchet takes you get feedback, and sometimes he'll step with his left foot but you'll get feedback on the right side instead. At the very least I had to tone it down, and may just turn it off completely like I usually do on other platforms and controllers. It's an unnecessary gimmick that I will not miss, and runs the battery down fast. It's as bad as the useless track pad and 6 axis, neither of which I used even once from 2013 to the present with my PS4.

Echoing what I said on the Push Square version of the article, I absolutely hate devices with non-removable batteries. MS gets it right with a removeable battery, and a LI-ION battery sold separately. The price is too high for the combination, that's the one problem, but otherwise, it's the ideal. When the battery fails, just replace it (and conversely if you already have a working battery but replace your controller, just move your battery over to the new controller rather than leaving explosives in a box for 15 years as I do. Someday all the dead lithium I have stockpiled in every corner of the house for decades will make a blast visible from space. Replaceable batteries fix that problem.

I prefer the ergonomics and asymmetric sticks of XB, but DS5 is the first Sony controller I don't hate, and I barely even notice the symmetrical sticks. They did a good job making the hand positions work for it. But most of the "features" are useless and overhyped. The HD haptics are nice, same as on Switch, but your brain filters them out once you get used to it. I don't notitce they exist. Same happened with X1's rumble triggers. I had rumble trigger envy before I got X1, then once I got it, I haven't noticed it even has them.

The haptic triggers are kind of obnoxious. I either don't notice them, or they're slightly cool (or do the same thing as XB's rumble triggers), or in the case of Spidermiles get actively fatiguing and annoying.

The trackpad...well, we've blasted that for 7 years and here it still is. It's useful for FFXIV, I guess?

The only thing that was a monumental miss for XB was not incorporating gyros into the controllers. That's critical for standardizing motion aiming and improving the FPS genre. Right now only Switch utilizes this properly, and that's a shame. Every game including Halo would be far far better with the option of motion aiming and ditching the aim-assist associated with Sticks. Splatoon is much better for it. Bethesda has made great use of it on Switch.....if only they could have brought that same benefit to Xbox.

The DualSense controller is one of the main reasons why the PS5 is my main console.
Whenever a game has good support for it, even if it lands on Gamepass on XSX, I rather play it on PS5.

@Residentsteve01 you don;t have to charge overnight with batteries, you cna just charge them while you play
a firend comes unexpectedly, he can play wirelessly without waiting fro cahrging
a battery dies, you replace it, the builtin battery dies, if you are lucky you can send the controller back

@Residentsteve01 Charge it with what?.

And with as low as 4 hour life for a DS4 pad, if I forget to charge it one day, or have a particular heavy season one evening, or if it's my day off, or if my son plays some Spider-man before I get on, you see where this is going right?

Honestly, most reviews comparing XSS and PS5 leave out the Xbox impulse triggers. Not saying it's the same, but it definitely feels nice when switching from a PS4 Dualshock or Switch Pro Controller. Most reviews just say "xbox hardly changed anything from last gen except the dpad l, share button and grip texture" while overlooking some of the older features that are still top notch. Would like to see them improve more of course, I currently LOVE the new XSX controller and can play for hours. Compared to how cramped I get with a Switch in handheld mode, the comfort levels are night and day

@BulkSlash you know some motion control wouldn't be bad. I almost never use it, but I get the level of comfort it can bring to shooters.

@Residentsteve01 "a lead 😂 what else"

I was wondering if you were going to be able to answer without the snark. Because if you're honest in this answer it assumes several things, like not shutting down your console etc.

"buy more pads get a charging station easy 👍🏻. Maybe have your own pads 👍🏻."

And this was the answer I was expecting. Which is a completely dishonest answer when you not long ago said this;

"I know it’s crazy having to spend more when you have already bought the console."

I would love if they addedd adaptive triggers to SX controllers. I just don't want they to mess with the AA batteries. I like to have the option. By the way, I use rechargeable AAs.

People keep saying AA is old tech, but honestly, AAs on Xbox controller last long then PS4 Controller battety. I would rather have an old tech battery that last long then a modern ome that can handle my gameplay time.

@Residentsteve01 You can buy this if you hate AA batteries. With this you don't have to throw away the controller when the battery is dying unlike the PS controllers.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/d/xbox-rechargeable-battery-usb-c-cable/8thsbp49z46x

@Residentsteve01 I'm usually better in spelling although I'm not a native speaker, I skipped reading this somehow 😂😂

But still rechargeable Eneloops are the best, I can use them on all my xbox controllers and even if I stop playing games tomorrow I would still use them in various other devices.
And due to the fact they don't discharge I only need to worry about charging once per 6 months or something similar

@Residentsteve01 Yea, if they go to away from removable batteries I absolutely will stop using the controllers. I have 5 dead PS 4 controllers that it was just cheaper to replace than to replace the battery and that's a waste

Especially when I can use AAs that far outlast the built ins and are rechargeable just as well.

I'm actually dealing with an Elite Series 2 that has a battery that'll no long hold a charge. Whole bunch of no thanks.

@eduscxbox "People keep saying AA is old tech, but honestly, AAs on Xbox controller last longer than PS4 controller battery. I would rather have an old tech battery that last long than a modern one that can't handle my gameplay time".

Exactly!

An Xbox controller lets you use a cable, batteries, rechargeable batteries and a battery pack. All of them are better options than only cable when the built-in battery of the DualShock/DualSense dies inevitably.

@NEStalgia I agree although I think that the impulse triggers of the Xbox controllers are consistently great in games like Forza Horizon 3 and 4.

DualSense goes for some of the gimmicks of the joy-cons and will probably be ignored like on Switch because it's something your brain forgets about after a while. Gyroscopes would be welcome in Xbox controllers but I wonder if they'd be used because they were were not on PS4 that is the most popular console of the last generation. The DS4 touch panel was like a map and options button and if you try to use it for typing you're going to need surgery skills.

@BlueOcean technically it's great in Forza. But the last time I noticed it existed was the first day I got xsx and thought the triggers were way more rumbly than before. Then I never noticed them again...

Same with dual sense. Except the constant tension in spiderman tires my joints terribly after a while.

Haptic STICKS id kill for though. Flight sim 2000 on pc with the sidewinder or saitek force feedback sticks was amazing. You'd feel the tension in the cables in the cessna's and biplanes etc.

Xbox really dropped the ball not adding gyros. No idea what they were thinking not doing that. Shooters are just so much more PC like with it. I think it was never used on ps because of Xbox. Publishers want to standardize, so if it won't work on Xbox ps doesnt get it. If ps shooters used it, I'd buy all my shooters on the blue console! But Bethesda is the one company that properly supported it on switch. They'd have it implemented across the board, day one, on xb if only the console had it... Starfield with gyros....mmm ...

@Residentsteve01 Does your controller work on some magical energy? Some pixie prayers? Or does it indeed have a "battery", but built-in? Or are you talking about going back to wired? Cause if it's wireless, it will need a power source, or "battery", to power it. If so, I'd rather the option of disposable or renewable. And your sentiment of "just buy another pad" is more expensive than a pair of batteries, disposable/renewable.

You enjoy the built-in batteries, that's cool, don't know why your panties are bunched up with sand, over other people's preference.

@InterceptorAlpha Yeah the built in battery is why I bought a spare v1 before they were gone. But now I like stock Series controller ergonomics more.

@Residentsteve01 Your strawman argument really has no place hear. You're erroneously assuming I treat my controllers poorly when in fact I do not. There are plenty of posts on the internet talking about the failed batteries.

As a matter of fact, it is the very innate chemistry of modern batteries that results in them having finite lives and not lasting indefinitely. Humanity has yet to design a battery that does not fail over time.

I played with a Dual Dense the other day and Astros Playroom, and I gotta say, the controller felt solid and well made but that was the only good thing. It felt too big, and the triggers were a little annoying and the haptics just felt gimmicky. If I had one I'd turn off the haptics after the first day and would think about turning those adaptive triggers off.

Oh it also took me 5 minutes to work out how to switch the stupid console off! And I had a PS3 and PS4 and PS4 Pro... Why the hell Sony felt the need to remove something as simple and necessary as 'turning your console off', to a multiple button press command hidden in the menus I'll never know. It's just crap. The console is also actually pretty big.

@NEStalgia I don't think the price is too high for the co troller and battery pack on Xbox? But I bought my batter pack last gen for my Xbox One controller, and it fits perfectly into my Series X controller. I just bought a 2 metre USB A to C cable to charge it. Works for me.

Personally find the dualsense light years ahead of the Xbox controller. The Xbox one feels huge, clunky, plasticky, buttons make loud cheap plastic noises, it has AA batteries still which seem to drain quickly unless you remove them while not in use. It's my first Xbox since the 360 that died on me after 3 months so I'm not as experienced with this controller but right now I play with it plugged in all the time so it feels like I'm playing a console from 15 years ago, especially when I'm playing game pass games from 15 years ago! I just don't have these problems with dualsense which has never ever run out because it is always docked between uses.
But hey, I still enjoy the series X - I just find it is playing catch up with the ps controller.

The Duelsense is good, I like it’s features but I still find the Xbox controller a little more comfortable in my hands.

At the end of the day though I don’t really care, it’s just there and if I go play something on the Xbox I can’t say I miss the feature set of the Duelsense.

@S1ayeR74 mannnn I know what you’re saying about turning the PS5 off, in a lot of ways the PS5 UI is backwards compared to previous, even just looking at your friends list is annoying. I don’t know what the hype was about in the reviews about it, it’s worse.

@Residentsteve01 surely you have to concede that when the battery on an Xbox pad is at the end of it's life it's easier to replace than the pack built into the Switch or Playstation controller. The fact that it takes standard AA batteries is a bonus, they can be bought anywhere and they'll be available many years from now.

It sounds like you're pretty organised always making sure a pad is charged up each evening, so if you wanted to switch to a more sustainable way of powering a controller it wouldn't be a huge step. You just need to ensure you have a stock of already charged AA batteries somewhere in the house. Personally I manage it by using 2 small tupperware boxes, where one contains batteries waiting to be recharged and another for batteries that are ready to go.

For the xbox controller to still use batteries and have no gyro and still cost £55 (in the UK) is a rip off.

Moving from PS4 to Series S I much prefer the S controller. PS5 controller is getting some great wraps though so am interested to see what it's like.

I think the Series X controller is the best controller on the market right now..

My main issue with the PS5 DualSense controller is the left analogue stick needs swapping positions with the d-pad.
The design hasn't been changed since the original PS1 DualShock, when d-pad was still heavily used for movement.
Makes it very awkward to play FPS games.

Other than that, a superb controller only outdone by the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, which obviously costs a hell of a lot more.

@UltimateOtaku91 Ah, the gyro, the first, annoying, feature, I disable on every controller/game.

being able to use AA rechargeables is great and a quick swap out when flat.

When the internal battery on a dual sense is ruined taking it apart will be a pain

@InterceptorAlpha don't get wrong I'm not saying it's a good feature but still adds value to the controller and adds more options for a game such as splatoon.

Being able to replace the play and charge kit or use AA rechargeables is way better than having to take your controller apart to change the battery

Copying features from PS controllers would be an exercise in futility. Apart from few exceptions, developers won't make much use of these features, which was already proven by the PS4, PS5 and even Switch controllers. Even in the rare cases they do, I honestly don't want to trade battery life for crappy touch controls or trigger buttons that can lock in place. Not to mention the mechanical issues that inevitably pop up eventually.

What I want to see is:
a) The utter annihilation of every and any drifting issues, first and foremost. So, quality.
b) Inputs that register every single time I press a face-button, no matter the angle. If it clicks, it has to register! So, again, ... quality.
c) Even better ergonomics and weight distribution.
d) Make programmable paddles on the back a standard, and design them such a way that I can easily reach them, without triggering them accidentally. That's a tough nut to crack, yes, but it would also be the only sensible addition at the moment.
e) A metric *****-TON of options and materials in the Xbox Design Lab. Give me every kind of possible D-Pad. Give me plastic, give me metal, give me freakin' high-grade-wood! Give me psychedelic colors and much, much more!

half the features dont get used on these pads i mean does anyone s realize the PlayStation controllers have had motion controls in them since the ps3 controller nope because hardly anyone uses them apart from quantic dream games

Xbox has the best controllers ever together with the 8Bitdo +.
For shooters and the best DPad for fighting games xbox controller stands on top.

I'm very sure Microsoft just wants Haptic feedback and Adaptive triggers, we look forward to it

Until Microsoft adds gyro to their controller, I will never use it for anything beyond simple emulators that only recognize Xbox controllers.

I like their controller. It's a little fat in the hand, hard to reach shoulder bumpers, but it's fine. Rumble feels good, even if not as good as Switch/PS5. But I don't care about that. I just need gyro.