PlayStation's DualSense Edge launched this week. The newest controller for the PS5 boasting more features than the regular DualSense that comes with the console. As reviews and teardowns of the Edge start to pour in, it has already been revealed the pricey controller has a smaller battery than a run-of-the-mill DualSense.
It had already been confirmed by PlayStation that its new controller would have a shorter battery life, those additional features being blamed for that. However, a look inside the new controller courtesy of Budd's Controllers (thanks, VGC) has revealed something PlayStation did not. That the physical size of the battery powering the Edge is significantly smaller than the one found in a DualSense.
Now, a smaller-sized battery doesn't necessarily mean a less powerful one, of course. In this case though, it does. The Edge is powered by a 1,050 mAh (milliampere-hour) battery, only a slight improvement on the 1,000 mAh battery found in the PS4's DualShock. It's also a significant step down from the 1,560 mAh battery that powers a regular DualSense.
Not good news for those thinking about picking up an Edge when the battery life of a normal DualSense is hardly something that has been celebrated since the PS5's launch. While the average battery life of the normal DualSense sits at around eight hours, depending on how you use it, reviews for the Edge appear to be in agreement that the controller will need to be charged every six hours.
While the majority of what early users have to say about the DualSense Edge paints it in a positive light, its limited battery life is a pretty big strike against it. Especially when you couple that with its price point. $200 if you want to bring home an Edge for yourself. Clearly a piece of hardware aimed at people who spend a lot of their spare hours gaming, the smaller battery and need to charge it after six hours of gameplay may well put quite a few people off picking one up.