Best PlayStation controller 2021: Pick up an extra PS4 or PS5 game pad

(Pocket-lint) - Sony's not acrophobic of alteration erstwhile it comes to the controllers it sends retired alongside each iteration of its celebrated PlayStation consoles - from the archetypal DualShock and its 3 follow-ups each the mode done to the astonishing caller DualSense, the PS5 controller. 

Consoles lone ever travel with 1 controller, though, extracurricular of a fewer bundles, truthful astir radical volition soon find that they request a 2nd pad for coop gaming oregon playing against their mates connected the sofa. That, oregon you mightiness person worn retired your existent controller, oregon fancy a fewer other benefits similar customisation and adjacent other buttons. If you're hunting for a caller pad to spell with your PS5 oregon PS4, we've gathered immoderate of the champion disposable close here.

All the models present person been tested thoroughly to cheque however they clasp up to extended use, and to spot however awesome their features are compared to some modular first-party pads and the competition.

Do enactment for now, though, that only the DualSense works with PS5 games connected the caller console astatine present, until Sony opens up the ecosystem and allows caller pads to deed the market. 

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Our apical prime is the Sony DualSense. Other large options see the Razer Raiju Ultimate, Sony DualShock 4, Nacon Revolution Unlimited Pro and PowerA Fusion Pro.

The champion PS4 oregon PS5 controller

Sony DualSense

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For

• Astonishing haptics
• Great triggers
• Comfortable to use

Against

• Can beryllium prone to breakages
• Only works with PS5

The latest successful Sony's agelong enactment of large controllers is possibly its champion ever, and it makes loads of consciousness to get a 2nd DualSense to spell with your PS5. 

The controller has upgraded haptic feedback and triggers to marque for enhanced immersion arsenic you play, positive an on-board microphone for much ways to interact with games and your friends. It's besides got an eye-catching colour scheme. Be warned though - it won't enactment connected your PS4!

Other large PlayStation 4 and 5 controllers

Here are 5 different large options for PlayStation controllers.

Razer Raiju Ultimate

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For

• Great pro options
• Super responsive

Against

• Won't enactment with PS5 games
• Very chunky successful the hand

If you've got a PlayStation 4 for now, and privation to springiness yourself a limb up connected the contention successful online games oregon get much options for solo adventures, the Razer Raiju Ultimate is your champion bet, a ultimate wireless pad. 

It's a superior chunk much expensive, but it's aimed astatine superior gamers, with 4 other programmable buttons to springiness you easier good power arsenic you game, and buttons and triggers that simply consciousness amended to usage than Sony's ain stuff. It's besides bully and chunky, making it truly comfy compared to the DualShock 4. Being capable to swap retired the thumbsticks and D-Pad easy according to your sensation is an added bonus. 

This is an enthusiast's controller, but we've enjoyed our clip utilizing it truthful overmuch that going backmost to a regular DualShock 4 would consciousness similar a wrench. However, beryllium warned that the Raiju volition lone enactment with PS4 games connected the PS5. 

Sony DualShock 4

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For

• First-party truthful reliable
• Comfortable to use

Against

• Won't enactment with PS5 games
• Battery beingness isn't great

If you're inactive connected PS4 but don't privation to walk excessively much, there's thing rather similar the aged classical of the DualShock 4 - it's an perfectly superb gamepad, and for our wealth the champion authoritative pad Sony had made erstwhile it released. 

It's got large thumbsticks and the evident benefits of wirelessness and seamless connections to your console. However, it should beryllium noted that it'll lone enactment with the PS5 successful a constricted mode - erstwhile you're playing backward-compatible PS4 games connected the caller console, to beryllium specific. That means it's hardly the astir future-proof concern close now. 

Nacon Revolution Unlimited Pro

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For

• Xbox-style instrumentality layout
• Well-made and adjustable weight
• Great pro options

Against

• Pricey
• Only works with PS4 games

Nacon's got a existent contender for your PS4 against the Razer pad we've featured supra successful the signifier of the fantabulous Revolution Unlimited. It's a large wireless pad that brings a batch of the customization you mightiness beryllium seeking, including weights to alteration its wide heft!

There are other buttons wherever your fingers grip, interchangeable thumbsticks, and adjacent much besides, and 1 cardinal alteration successful the asymmetry of the thumbstick layout, much similar an Xbox pad. If that's thing you want, this is simply a large enactment for hands utilized to Microsoft's layout. Similarly, though, it'll lone person constricted compatibility with the PS5 for now.

PowerA Fusion Pro

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For

• Really comfortable
• Well-made
• Pro controls consciousness great

Against

• Expensive
• Won't enactment with PS5 games

Although, similar each the different 3rd enactment options, this volition lone enactment for PS4 games connected the PS5, it's the closest we've tried successful signifier and size to the DualSense. 

You get other paddle buttons connected the back, and tin take however galore to support attached easily, arsenic good arsenic trigger stops that are truly bully and tactile, positive easier-to-click buttons. It's a truly comfy pad, too, and connects easy via Bluetooth. If afloat PS5 compatibility were unlocked, this would beryllium adjacent much of a stormer. 

Scuf Impact

• View connection connected Scufgaming.com

For

• Amazing quality
• Stunning customisation

Against

• Really costly adjacent for pro options
• Only works connected PS4 games

When it comes to existent customization, though, we're not definite thing tin clasp a candle to Scuf's controllers for PS4, which fto you take practically each constituent that goes into them. That means thumbsticks, colors, textures, D-Pads, back-paddles, and more. 

To beryllium honest, that's besides what holds it backmost slightly. It tin beryllium somewhat overwhelming to consider, and you'll besides find the outgo of the pad going up rather steeply the much you adhd bells and whistles. Still, you'll get a pro-level controller astatine the extremity of the process. 

How to take a controller for your PS4 oregon PS5

Here are immoderate questions to assistance you prime retired a large controller for your PlayStation console, since we cognize things tin get a small confusing!

Are you playing connected a PS5?

We said it up astatine the commencement of our guide, but to reiterate - if you're playing PS5 games connected a PS5, you tin lone usage the authoritative DualSense controller close now. PS4 games connected a PS5 tin enactment with immoderate of the options we've listed, but for wholly next-gen experiences it's sadly limited.

Do you privation to spell wireless?

Wireless controllers are a must, successful our view, letting you play much freely and without worrying astir tangled cables. Still, if you privation to prevention connected costs you tin often get much "pro" controllers for little by opting for wired versions wherever they exist. This volition nett you immoderate of the other benefits, without tying you down to a immense terms tag.

Do you fancy immoderate other controls?

One of the biggest benefits to picking up a third-party controller for a PlayStation is that you tin get 1 with pro options similar backmost paddles and different further buttons that you tin remap yourself. These tin springiness you a existent vantage by letting you acceptable up a power strategy that keeps your thumbs connected the sticks astatine each times, for example, oregon immoderate different fig of configurations.

If you don't deliberation you request this, though, you tin steer clear. In fact, immoderate pro controlls similar those from PowerA really fto you region the other buttons erstwhile you're not utilizing them, for the champion of some worlds.

What benignant of layout works for you?

When the Xbox 360 exploded into tremendous popularity, 1 of the large changes it brought into the mainstream was an analogue instrumentality layout connected its controller that was asymmetric. This has go truly comfy for galore players since, truthful if you privation that benignant of layout beryllium definite to prime a third-party enactment that offers it. Sony itself is intelligibly committed to the duplicate sticks it's utilized for truthful long.

More astir this story

Every merchandise successful this database has been tested successful real-life situations, conscionable arsenic you would usage it successful your day-to-day life.

Testing controllers is thing we get a existent footwear retired of - successful each cases, we marque definite to usage the controller for astatine slightest a mates of weeks of intensive play. This helps america to get a consciousness for however it performs nether regular use, and crossed a fig of genres. In particular, we play a batch of Call of Duty with them, a large mode to spot however they enactment nether accent and to instrumentality vantage of immoderate pro options they have.

Extra buttons are welcome, but lone if they enactment reliably and are casual to some remap and reach. Similarly, however the pad feels to clasp wide is truly important, alongside however good its components perform. If it looks beauteous decent, too, that's a bonus, though much important is the pricing, which helps to find if we deliberation it's worthy it.

We aren’t funny successful pointless fig crunching oregon extraneous details - we conscionable privation to supply an casual to recognize reappraisal that gives you an thought of what it's going to beryllium similar to use. And don’t for a 2nd deliberation that the products aren't tested afloat due to the fact that the reviews are concise.

We’ve been covering tech since 2003, and, successful galore cases, person not lone reviewed the merchandise successful question, but the erstwhile generations, excessively - close backmost to the archetypal exemplary connected the market. There is besides plentifulness of models we've considered that didn't marque the chopped successful each of our buyer's guides.

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills. Originally published connected 30 September 2020.