Sony unveils high-end PS5 controller with parts you can mix and match

Sony Group is expanding its gaming accessories range with the announcement of a new DualSense Edge wireless controller for the PlayStation 5.

The upgraded control pad has modular components that players can replace and customise, building on the advances in vibration feedback and responsive analog triggers that the company introduced with the PS5’s original DualSense controller. It will serve as the PlayStation equivalent to Microsoft’s Xbox Elite controller, which sells for $179.99, though Sony has yet to specify a price or release date.

Get a first look at the DualSense Edge wireless controller: https://t.co/PJEVb216T2

Customizable controls, back buttons, changeable stick caps, on-controller interface and more pic.twitter.com/sAtVdrg6Us

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) August 23, 2022

Introduced as part of the opening festivities around the Gamescom showcase event in Cologne, Germany, the Edge controller is part of an expanding portfolio of peripherals from the Tokyo-based company. Earlier this year it released its first range of PC gaming gear, with three headsets and two displays under a new brand called Inzone.

The company has signalled it intends to grow its presence as a provider of both games and gadgets for PC players. The new wireless controller may include such compatibility. The existing DualSense pad is already compatible with PCs via a wired connection and also supports play on Apple Macs, iPhones and iPads, as well as Android devices.

Sony PS5 led the US market in hardware spending in July and the year to date and, alongside Microsoft’s competing Xbox Series, saw double-digit growth last month, according to the latest data from NPD.

US sales of accessories are down significantly this year, but they still accounted for close to $150m in July, the figures showed.

In other news, Sony recently launched a new gaming gear brand called Inzone, trotting out headphones and displays for the PC to try and expand its reach beyond the PlayStation.

Read: Sony takes a leap into PC gaming gear with new Inzone brand

The new brand is the Tokyo-based firm’s effort to capture a slice of the peripherals market, augmenting its plans to release more former PlayStation exclusives on the Windows platform. Sony wants to signal to consumers that it’s making products and games that go beyond the scope of its console ecosystem and has been taking steps to grow its gaming empire to mobile and PC arenas in recent years.