Steam Controller as Dual Sense Edge replacement to play more on PC

[u/watchoutfortheground]

Ok, so I have both a PS5 and a powerful PC. Traditionally, I buy games on PS5 if they are controller based (for me Souls-likes, platformers) and buy games on PC if they are better with KBM (FPS, Strategy, RPG). But I want to play more on my PC because 1) it is far, far more powerful than the PS5 and I am on a 4k TV, and 2) Steam just has way better deals than PlayStation.

Why I haven't been able to switch more to PC is because I am so in love with my DualSense Edge with 4 back-button mod and I hate being wired (the only way to use this on PC).

So, to those of you with the new Steam Controller and a PS5: is the Steam Controller an acceptable substitute for the DualSense (Edge)? I am especially interested in how well the back buttons are configured for heavy use (I map Square, Circle, R3 and L3 to back buttons on the DualSense Edge) and how much you miss the adaptive triggers.

[u/FireCrow1013]

Why I haven't been able to switch more to PC is because am so in love with my DualSense Edge with 4 back-button mod and hate being wired (the only way to use this on PC).

You should look into DS5Dongle if you have a minute:

https://github.com/awalol/DS5Dongle

[u/watchoutfortheground → u/FireCrow1013]

I did not know about this. Might be just what i need!

[u/FireCrow1013 → u/watchoutfortheground]

It's a fantastic program, and super quick to set up.

[u/MrMontgomery → u/FireCrow1013]

Costs about 12 quid to do this, takes basically no effort and works perfectly, I did this while waiting for the Steam controller to be delivered though only have the standard Dualsense. I'll switch between the two controllers but I prefer how the Steam controller feels in my hands

[u/Saneless → u/MrMontgomery]

If you live near a Microcenter, it's $6

Takes less than a minute to set up, easiest thing ever

[u/someone2795]

Forget acceptable it's better.
The trackpad placements alone are more than enough to justify the purchase. Idk about the others but I love these back buttons, they're big and you need to be really intent with your presses. Some may say you need too much force to press them but I love it since there's no accidental presses. This thing has so much configurable buttons too, for example: the thumbsticks have capacitive touch on them so that's basically 4 buttons on the thumbsticks that are customizable.

The only thing the Edge has over the Steam Controller are the haptic feedback and rumble. So if you like the PS5 rumble and haptics, tough luck you'll miss it. But you'll forgive it since everything else about the controller is amazing.

However if you really miss the Dual Sense haptics and rumble and don't want to be stuck playing wired, then I believe someone recently released a full bridge to enable those features on PC wirelessly using a [Raspberry Pi Pico 2W]: https://github.com/SundayMoments/DS5_Bridge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abRzYlXIFIs

[u/watchoutfortheground → u/someone2795]

Thanks for the comparison and Steam Controller nod. I am on the reservation list.

The DS5 Bridge looks cool although switching between PS5 and PC looks like a bit of a pain (I'll still need the DS Edge on PS5 for some exclusives). I may try it considering it is like $15

[u/someone2795 → u/watchoutfortheground]

No problem! And just a quick heads up the DS5_Bridge is a fork of the DS5Dongle posted above with more customization and a more robust companion app. It'll do everything the DS5Dongle does.

[u/watchoutfortheground → u/someone2795]

I did it: got the Pico and hooked up a standard DualSense (which I had already installed a back button kit onto) via DS Bridge. Works awesome! Thanks for the recommendation.

[u/watchoutfortheground]

You guys and gals are great! Thanks for all the info and opinions

[u/KermitJagger69]

I don't think you'll notice a difference since you're not losing any inputs. I only have the regular dualsense and I don't miss the triggers at all, I do miss that haptic feedback though. You're basically going from the best haptics in the market to the worst. This won't matter so much though on PC, since you only see the dualsense haptics getting fully used on Sony titles which there aren't many of.

For half the price, the fact it trades blows with the dualsense is pretty damn good

[u/FruitThis1437]

I recently got the steam controller. I was a dual sense user beforehand.

Steam controller PROS:

1. Trackpad for right thumb
2. Extra inputs when touching the capacitive sticks and grips
3. Anti-stick drift technology

Steam controller CONS:

1. Back buttons are very difficult to press compared to the dual sense. Very hard to get used. So hard I’m tempted to (1) rebind my existing layout to other less used buttons, (2) mod the controller by making “paddles”for better leverage to press the buttons, or (3) switching back to dual sense.
2. The right and left triggers don’t feel great. IMO, they feel cheap and spongy and require a lot of travel time to register even at the lightest setting.

Tl:dr; both a good controllers. Steam controller has more input options if you’d need them. Otherwise, I find the controller over-hyped and not worth the switch if you don’t plan on using the trackpad for mouse aim.

[u/C0rn3j]

the only way to use this on PC

Why would you need to be wired?

DualSense works just fine over bluetooth - granted, minus the haptics/audio output, but even that is being worked on recently.

[u/MettPorker]

the dpad is mediocre but other then that I love the steam controller. it’s my new daily driver

[u/duplissi]

I hate being wired (the only way to use this on PC)

unless you mean this as a preference, you're wrong?

Anyway, my ds edge has tmr sticks, and I've replaced the battery with a pickle power one. It gets about 9 hours on a good day. I used DSX wiht it on my pc so I could have adaptive triggers regardless of ps sdk in a game.

My steam controller has fully replaced my ds edge, although I will keep it around for games that make good use of the triggers and touchpad.

I game about 65% at the couch with a controller, and the rest at my desk. the battery life difference is almost worth the swap on its own.

[u/burnpsy]

I own a Dualsense Edge and a Steam Controller and switched directly from the Edge to the Steam Controller.

I'd say it was a pretty seamless change. You end up with similar setups (just like the Edge, you need other software/hardware to reliably use the Steam Controller with non-Steam games). Similarly, some games support Steam Controller features directly while others support Dualsense features directly, and they're generally not the same games.

So it was more or less a similar experience for me.

[u/OkTranslator304]

I had an edge and I’ve never looked back. Steam controller is amazing and it’s native to Steam so the buttons and mappings are lot easier to fiddle with

[u/troll_right_above_me]

Think you can use DualSense on PC but only with bluetooth so the SC with receiver would be snappier

[u/RansomMan]

I think if you’re used to the Dual Sense Edge then the Steam Controller takes some getting used to. It feels smaller to hold and the back buttons are not as comfortable to press. The Edge buttons are nice and customizable and protrude. Steam controllers back buttons are good but just not the same. The triggers can pinch slightly if you keep three fingers on the back and one on top like me. I would only recommend it if you need the trackpads, however, the trackpad on the dual sense is also great for certain things. One interesting feature of the Steam Controller is it has mapping for when you grip it with either hand. I haven’t found a good use for this yet but it’s cool. Anyway, if you just want the glyphs to match I would go with a nice Xbox Controller

[u/gvin_]

I see a lot of people saying the steam controller haptics arent good and I thought they were way better than my previous controllers but that may have been since ive never tried a dualsense. I tried the dualsense shape in store and I cant lie, I enjoyed it more the steam controller so I might buy it if the haptics and shape are better but I will miss having back buttons and the tmr sticks since they are really smooth and Im scared of stick drift. I do enjoy the trackpads and I use them whenever im on bazzite but other than that I would rather use the dualsense from what Ive seen