BestBuy Canada has listed what appears to be a new version of the PlayStation DualSense on its website, setting tongues wagging that an updated take on the controller will soon be coming our way. Aside from the DualSense Edge, which retails for an eye-watering $200, we haven’t seen a comprehensive update for the controller since its launch in 2020. New styles, colours, and limited edition variants don’t count - it’s the same beast underneath all the looks.

According to the listing, this new version of the controller will feature an “exceptional 12 hour battery life” on a full charge, which is significantly more than current models, but without the bells and whistles of the expensive Edge. Right now, ones I’ve been using since the PS5 came out struggle to last more than a couple of hours without needing to be plugged in, although that depends on the intensity of haptics and vibration that is being applied. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is going to tax it a little more than emulated PS1 classics, who would have thought?

But even having two controllers to juggle between turns most my gaming sessions into a wired inconvenience. Having not used the DualSense Edge, I also don't have a point of comparison. Compared to literally any Xbox joypad or the Switch Pro controller however, Sony’s offering has been a bit of a joke in the battery department.

Upgrades for battery life and power used in general circumstances, at least in terms of consoles, normally aren’t marketed as significant upgrades. But considering this product is being listed as the ‘DualSense V2’ has me hopeful that Sony will make a song and dance about it. If the listing proves correct and the new controller truly can hold 12 hours on a full charge, that will result in a vastly improved user experience.



It sounds hyperbolic, but if your entertainment centre is far enough away from your seated position, then there is nothing worse than having to snake a wire through furniture that your cats are also bound to attack thinking it’s prey. 12 hours compared to the four or so you tend to get from a used controller is a massive difference, although I wouldn’t be shocked if the actual figures trend a little lower. Sony does love to exaggerate, after all.

I pray the build quality is improved, because the haptics in the two controllers I have are incredibly inconsistent. One newer model rattles the controller to such a degree that friends can hear it through the built-in mic, while it also makes haptics in certain games annoying to use because it either makes my inputs inaccurate or rocks my hands so much it isn’t fun. I’ve also had the d-pad stick, thumbsticks drift, and other small foibles a refresh can easily address. The DualSense has long been in need of an upgrade, and hopefully, V2 is more than a retailer telling fibs and a sign of things to come. I just hate charging so damn much...

Posted: Jan 16, 2024 1:46 pm
Related Forum: PlayStation Forum

Source: https://www.thegamer.com/dualsense-v2-battery-life-release-date-features/