Official or third-party PS5 controller?

A DualSense costs several times what a third-party pad does, and the gap is real — but it is not about build quality, which is where most comparisons go wrong.

What only the official pad does

Adaptive triggers, which stiffen as you pull them, and the haptics that replace the old rumble motor. A large number of PS5 games are designed around both. No third-party controller licenses them, so on a cheaper pad those games simply feel flatter — nothing is broken, something is missing.

The practical annoyance

Most third-party pads cannot wake the console from rest. You reach for the official one to turn the PS5 on, then swap. Check this before buying if it is going to be the only pad in the house.

When third-party is the right buy

As a second or third controller for local multiplayer, where nobody is agonising over trigger resistance in FIFA. For a child, where a pad is going to get dropped. And for anything with back paddles or a claw grip, which Sony only offers on the much more expensive Edge.

Drift

Stick drift affects both. It is a wear item on every analogue stick ever made, and the official pad is not immune — it is simply more worth repairing.

Our take

One official DualSense, then third-party for the extra players. Browse PlayStation controllers and consoles, and use LYNQ to see what fits your console.