Black Friday gaming deals are a wonderful thing. Not least because they offer gamers a once-in-a-year opportunity to update their console accessories while parting with less hard-earned cash. But even then, the best PS5 controllers can set you back a fortune - even if they're discounted during Black Friday PS5 deals.
For that reason, you only really get one shot at buying the right headset, controller, or SSD for you. So it pays to do your research to figure out which will benefit you the most.
That's exactly why we've all turned up to the big fight taking place here today. Squaring off against one another we have two extremely exciting combatants that are ready to knock each other's lights out. This fight has been talked to death and it's finally time to see which controller will be the right one for you to buy when Black Friday gaming deals roll in.
In the blue corner, we have a luxury gaming item with a $200 price tag. It's PlayStation's first-ever homemade pro controller, and it features haptic feedback, full button remapping, adaptive trigger resistance, and magnetic back paddles. Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for the DualSense Edge.
*the crowd goes sort of wild*
And in the red corner, we have an officially licensed gamepad from the folks at PDP. Sporting a modular design, a slew of ways to customize it, and some of the best back buttons ever put on a controller - it's the Victrix Pro BFG.
*the crowd goes slightly more wild, maybe*
DualSense Edge vs Victrix Pro BFG: Price
It's going to be a quick and easy first round for the Victrix Pro BFG. Comparing prices, there's no real contest between these two controllers. The DualSense Edge will set you back a fairly painful $199.99 / £210. For that money, you get a slew of software benefits and features that are reserved for first-party devices - things like haptic feedback, the ability to turn on the PS5 with the PlayStation home button, and trigger resistance.
The Victrix Pro BFG, however, only costs $179.99 / £179.99. For that admission price, you get an officially licensed PS5 controller that does feel fairly stripped back in terms of weight and software features, but targets a more competitive E-Sports audience. You won't get haptic feedback, trigger resistance, or even any type of rumble. What you will get is a gamepad you can change the face of, adapt to your comfort preferences, and tailor to the game you want to excel in.
Both controllers are wireless and will work with the PS5, and both can be counted among the best PC controllers too. The Victrix Pro BFG has the added benefit of being compatible with a PS4 as well, which the DualSense Edge does not.
Not only is the Victrix Pro BFG cheaper, but we've already seen it discounted for events like Prime Day. The DualSense Edge is yet to get a major discount - perhaps Black Friday 2023 will make that happen.
Either way, the Victrix Pro BFG wins the price round and, it should be said, is the cheapest officially licensed pro controller for PS5 currently available on the market.
DualSense Edge vs Victrix Pro BFG: Software
Alright folks, now we have a fight on our hands.
Where the DualSense Edge falls short on price, it makes up ground in its software capability. As I mentioned, there are plenty of features that officially licensed PS5 controllers don't get access to because of Sony's license agreements, but the upgraded DualSense takes things a step further.
When you first connect your DualSense Edge to the console, you'll be walked through entire settings menus of your PS5 you had no idea even existed previously. You'll find button remapping menus, profiles, deadzone customization, and otherwise very thorough options so you can set the controller up according to your every whim. As we'll come onto, there aren't a whole lot of accessories and ways for you to customize the hardware of the DualSense Edge. Instead, Sony took a much more software-oriented approach to customization.
This approach works, too. The menus are really conclusive, and since they're integrated into the PS5's UI, they're quick and easy to access with the push of one of the DualSense Edge's function buttons. This makes a real difference, and makes me wish third party devices could make use of these menus somehow - it can be a real pain having to download PC software for controllers, then disconnect from a console and plug into a computer just to change one button assignment. That ends up being the case for a few controllers these days, and oddly it's always the most expensive ones.
The Victrix Pro BFG does now have access to equivalent software on PC, which it didn't at launch. The Victrix Control Hub App lets you do all the appropriate fine-tuning you could want, albeit on a PC. This works just fine and is conclusive enough for the E-sports level of detail this set of buttons is known for.
The great news is that you don't need this software to make the most of the Pro BFG's features. PDP took a more hardware-oriented approach to things, and using the clever function button in combination with other buttons on the controller, you can switch profiles, and assignments, mute yourself, or even adjust audio profiles without disconnecting from the console.
While this is certainly useful, having to consult the manual for the hotkey combinations can be a bit of a pain. Victrix doesn't exactly miss out on functionality, but there's no question that the DualSense Edge takes the cake when it comes to software and more specifically, software convenience.
DualSense Edge vs Victrix Pro BFG: Accessories
With the DualSense Edge, you get a lovely white hard case that provides a home for the controller and its gubbins. I'll say right now that this is actually one of my favorite cases provided with any pro controller. It's robust and can actually take some knocks, bumps, and pressure. It's also got a handy flap at the back you can open up if you want to charge the gamepad while it's still in there. It must be said, I've never once made use of that, but it's a fun extra.
It's a shame then, that inside that case you don't get much in the way of components. You get the standard three-meter braided USB to USB-C cable, a locking mechanism so the wire can't be yanked out of the controller and damage it, some back paddle options, and four thumbstick tops.
These thumbstick tops are all the classic DualShock retro shape - yes, the one that makes your thumbs slide off insanely easily and was scrapped with the PS4's DualShock 4. Two of these are ever so slightly taller than the standard DualSense thumbstick height, but not by much. The reason you'd want a taller thumbstick is because you want more accuracy in aiming, for example, but without an indented top they feel functionally useless, and definitely not what I'd want as a replacement if my indented thumbsticks ever wore out completely.
The back paddles on offer are fantastic, and my favorite thing about them is that they cater to different hand shapes and ways of gripping a controller. These are magnetic, so they slot into the holes really easily and feel so slick to use, no matter if you use the longer paddles or the pebble ones.
Overall though, there isn't a massive number of attachments in the case of the DualSense Pro.
The Victrix Pro BFG, on the other hand, takes this round very seriously. In the fabric hard case, you'll find taller and shorter thumbsticks, two D-pad options, stick gates for limiting or increasing your thumbstick movements, a fight pad attachment that gives you six face buttons, a three-meter braided cable, and, most importantly, a small bespoke screwdriver.
As I've mentioned, the Pro BFG is a modular controller, so by releasing the small turn screws on each of the facial components, you can take them out and flip them around, and position them how you'd like. If you prefer symmetrical sticks, you can make that happen, if you want that fight pad to turn things into a mini arcade stick, it's all possible.
The back buttons on this controller aren't swappable, which is a bit of a shame, but you do get four of them as opposed to the DualSense Edge's two. Not only that, but the thumbstick tops all feel much more useful and distinct than the ones given to you in the DualSense Edge's case.
This round goes to the Victrix Pro BFG.
DualSense Edge vs Victrix Pro BFG: Battery life
The DualSense Edge has a battery life of around six to seven hours - while that isn't official on the marketing front, it is quoted to have a somewhat shorter battery life than the regular DualSense. Over time since I reviewed it, I've used the DualSense Edge loads, and its battery life hasn't exactly gotten worse, but it was never that great to begin with.
The Victrix Pro BFG has a quoted battery life of up to 20 hours. While my initial testing time certainly found this was a close enough figure, it has definitely degraded slightly throughout the year. For now, it gets maybe 10 hours or so before I need to charge it up.
I wouldn't say battery life is the strong suit of either of these gamepads, to be honest with you. Both can be used in wired mode, if it's any consolation. Regardless, if it's battery life you want, maybe look for the Razer Wolverine V2 Pro, or look out for the incoming Nacon Revolution 5 Pro.
This round is a draw - nobody really wins this round, it must be said.
DualSense Edge vs Victrix Pro BFG: Value for money
In an arguably over-priced PS5 controller market, you want to make sure whichever you buy is going to last you a solid amount of time. I'd understand anyone who has trust issues from the original DualSense's longevity. It's understandable for you to worry about the health of a more expensive pro model if your first PS5 controller bit the dust thanks to stick drift.
I will say, despite my reservations when I reviewed it, the DualSense Edge has absolutely stood the test of time so far. I reviewed it back in January and it's still performing just as it was, and I've gotten a lot of use out of it in that time.
However, there's the matter of price to consider here. The main issues with the DualSense have to do with stick drift, trigger springs snapping, and battery life. With the former, Sony has included the ability to swap out entire thumbstick modules with the Edge. While this might seem like a solid solution, I'm really not convinced. To me, a genuine fix would be to put Hall Sensor sticks in it, but PlayStation has chosen to stick with its potentiometer ones for now. Replacing a thumbstick module, however, will cost yet more money when this is an already expensive bit of kit.
Call it a plaster over a wound, or a quick fix, but if I had to pay that much for a controller and it suffered from issues I had to pay even more money to fix, I wouldn't be happy.
The Victrix option is cheaper to begin with but gives you four back buttons as opposed to two. For the money, that adds a significant portion of value to the equation, because it's a genuine competitive edge in more games. These extra back buttons mean you don't need to take your thumbs off the movement and camera controls, so you're more akin to players on one of the best gaming PCs.
The Victrix Pro BFG doesn't include Hall Sensor sticks either, it must be said. While I wouldn't say it's degraded over the same amount of time I've had with the DualSense Edge, I have occasionally noticed a few minor instances of stick drift. This hasn't troubled me for quite some time though, and really only showed up briefly, a couple of hundred hours into its lifespan. This could have easily been to do with a wireless connection interference, too, since it isn't usually a problem that just goes away.
For me, this round goes to Victrix. If there were ever any serious stick drift issues that meant your thumbsticks didn't work, the controller is modular, so if it's within warranty and PDP is kind to you, you might even be able to just replace the thumbstick component.
Not only is the BFG cheaper to begin with, but the inclusion of four back buttons as opposed to two means you get more functionality for your money.
DualSense Edge vs Victrix Pro BFG: Gaming versatility
This round is a little harder to call - more because it comes down to your preference and what you'd use each controller for. It's hard to argue with the versatility of PDP's big friendly giant. Its modular design means you can turn its hand to any game and have a blast with it - not to mention a serious competitive edge.
I'll start this round off by saying that for any game I play on a competitive, multiplayer level, I'll use the Victrix Pro BFG. The same goes for Twitch-based shooters or anything where I want an accuracy boost - games like Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, HUNT: Showdown, Chivalry II, and fighting games like Tekken 7 and 8 (the latter in closed network tests since it hasn't fully released). Similarly, any game I'm trying to "get good" at, or learn to speedrun, I'll use the Pro BFG. I'm really keen to play Neon White in the next couple of months, and that's a game I'll almost certainly play with this gamepad.
When it comes to Sony's first-party games, however, or anything that's been designed with PS5-specific features in mind, the DualSense Edge is absolutely where I'll go. I find that the rounded corners of the DualSense Edge make it more comfortable for general use if you aren't playing something that requires loads of in-game actions. For that reason, I tend to use it for more casual games where I don't feel I need four back buttons and two will do the trick.
Again, this comes down to what you'll use a PS5 Pro controller for. I've supplied some genres/use cases I'd recommend for each down below. I suppose this round can be considered a draw, but if you keep your own preferences in mind, it might help you decide which you'd prefer.
Victrix Pro BFG:
- First-person shooters
- Competitive multiplayer games
- PC-optimized games with lots of in-game actions
- Fighting games
- 2D platformers
- Stealth / Sniper games
- Any game you want to speedrun
DualSense Edge:
- PlayStation Exclusives
- Third-person action games
- Platformers that don't require four back buttons
- Driving games
- Titles that make use of haptic feedback and adaptive trigger resistance
Now, this is very much based on my own preference, remember. And just because I use the BFG for twitch-shooters doesn't mean that the DualSense Edge can't be used for them as well. Similarly, the BFG would work great for third-person games, it just isn't my go-to choice.
If I had to say I used one more than the other, I probably use the DualSense Edge more. But which would I recommend more for competitive players? That's a different story.
Result
To sum up, both of these controllers are excellent. I think the one you should go for very much depends on what games you need it for most, and what use you're looking to get out of it.
If it's competitive multiplayer games - your CODs, your Fortnites, your go-to speedrunning games, I couldn't recommend the Victrix Pro BFG more. It is hands-down one of the best competitive controllers I've ever used, and as someone who reviews controllers, the design and versatility on offer are astounding. Moreover, it's cheaper, meaning you get so much value for money from it.
If it's mainly casual PlayStation games you play, and you're okay with only having two back buttons for the money you pay, then the DualSense Edge is probably the one for you. It's certainly very comfortable, and the integration of software in the PS5 makes it a joy to use.
If we split things round by round, the Victrix Pro BFG technically takes the belt, but this has been a true fight-of-the-year contender.
Want more Black Friday buying advice? Check out our coverage of Black Friday gaming PC deals, Black Friday Meta Quest deals, and Black Friday gaming chair deals.
