Sony 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 analogue 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 as much as R4 000, though Sony has yet to specify a price or release date.
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, and 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’s Macs, iPhones and iPads, as well as Android devices.
Sony’s PlayStation 5 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 US$150-million in July, the figures showed. — (c) 2022 Bloomberg LP
