I’m planning to buy a new controller for my PC gaming setup, but I’m stuck between the PS5 DualSense and the Xbox Wireless Controller. Both have solid reputations, but I want to make the best choice for comfort, compatibility, and overall gaming experience.
If you’ve used both on PC, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Which one feels better during long gaming sessions?
Are there any compatibility or connectivity issues?
Do the adaptive triggers and haptics on the PS5 controller actually work well on PC?
How’s the Xbox controller’s performance and reliability?
Looking forward to your suggestions and experiences to help me decide. Thanks in advance!
Dualsense developed horrible drift issue 6 month back, I was able to fix it but it is not a very easy thing to do. Xbox is working fine.
On the other hand I do like that it has inbuilt battery unlike Xbox, so I almost always use the xbox controller wired because using rechargable AAs is a hassle.
But the xbox controller works in every game without any third party software where as you might need special software to fake the dualsense as a 360 controller to make it work in certain games.
I would suggest you look for newer models that come with tmr/halleffect sticks from gamesir, 8bit etc instead of either of these as they comes with xbox’s compatibility with inbuilt battery.
But if I had to choose between xbox or dualsense I would choose xbox because of better compatibility and the fact that it is less susceptible to drift issues.
I can’t (personally) speak for the Dualsense on PC, but the Xbox controller works like a charm, and out of the box compatibility, it works for every game out there, with no software tinkering
With the DualSense, some games may require button remapping, or the button icons may be skewed. Only a handful of games on PC support the adaptive triggers (almost all being PS Studio titles)
Additionally, Longevity is also a factor that you may need to consider. The DualSense has a built-in battery that will degrade over time. With the Xbox controller, you can swap batteries on the fly. Just get yourself some rechargeable batteries+charger combo, and you’re golden.
I think there’s software support for that. Does it still not enable full haptic feedback over Bluetooth, or are there other limitations I should be aware of?
Unlike every other OS, windows restricts native gamepad support only for xinput API.
What this effectively means is that first party Nintendo pro and PS4/PS5 controllers will not work in windows without a translation layer.
Even though dualsense is technically the superior controller, you will have to buy xbox controller (or third party units that offer xinput mode) if primary use case is windows
if your games are on steam, you can plug and play dualsense and it’ll work fine out of the box, steam will handle translating to xinput/whatever is needed for compatibility with your game
otherwise, you need to get DSX (paid, on steam) or DS4Windows (free on github, i use this personally)
haptics only work wired unless you have DSX, can’t speak for that app I haven’t used it, haptics are FINE, nothing super special, you’re still holding a controller, but it does add to the immersion.
dualsense is notorious for failing early, developing stick drift, mine hasn’t had an issue in about 2 years, don’t use it that often though
Both are fine, I own Xbox series controller & friend has PS5
Xbox - None; PS5 - Yes, but DSX makes it detect as Xbox controller when needed
Works on some Sony games, that’s all
Good, my controller is 2.5 years old now, use it with the dongle on PC.
Something you might want to look at is 8bitdo Ultimate 2C wireless. It is cheaper & should still provide a great experience (check some online reviews). Someone is selling it in the forum under 3k (3k+ for Black edition). Its only con that I heard is that shape isn’t best for very long usage but I don’t think you are upgrading from a controller with superior shape.
Friend’s PS5 controller did develop stick drift just before his 6 month warranty expired, got it replaced once. Luckily working fine since then but his usage has went down. Hall effect sticks won’t have this issue.
I have an Xbox controller. I chose it for the compatibility it offers, no third-party software is needed, as it is natively supported by almost all Windows games.
Yes I had trigger stickiness on two of my xbox controllers: a xbox one and series controller as well.
Some cleaning fixed it but it came back again and I placed some cotton under the trigger area by gently opening to fix the issue with no impact to triggers functionality.
PS5 dualsense lacks full support for Windows. Adaptive Triggers won’t work efficiently. I would suggest to get a third party xbox Controller which has hall effect triggers and joysticks. Gamesir G7 series can be a option.
Honestly get the PS5 controller those haptic feedbacks are amazing it really enhances your gaming experience. If you are worried about issues then both controller will have issues after sometime that is how they are made so why not get a controller that gives you better experience. And about the compatibility just use steam input, if its a non steam game then add the game in steam and use steam input if that doesn’t work then there is always ds4windows.
I have a PS5 controller and its been over 2 years already while it had developed stick drift after 1.5 years of use I used WD-40 Contact cleaner now there is no more stick drift.
I’m using the GuliKit KingKong 2 Pro myself. The hall effect sticks are great—no drift at all. Works well across platforms, and it’s been solid for casual gaming. Just note that wireless latency isn’t ideal for competitive FPS, but for general use, it’s more than enough.
Don’t get the DualSense, its a lottery more like. I have two and both of them got stick drift in 6 months and the worst part is Sony only gives 6 months warranty on these.
Also, with DualSense you are limited to Bluetooth or USB C connection for PC, and depending on the number of devices around your setup the bluetooth connection reliability varies - hasn’t been good for me.
Just go for the Xbox, it will save you all this hassle and money. In fact you can even go for the third party controllers which come with 2.4 Ghz wireless mode to save some more. I’ve had the RedGear Wireless Gamepad for the last 6 years and its been solid.