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Another year of Prime Day sales is fast approaching, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be wondering if the PS5’s DualSense Edge controller might finally see its first significant price cut during the event. July's mini-Black Friday is an exciting time because it can often bring about the first wave of discounts for games and hardware that launched late the previous year.
In terms of Prime Day PS5 deals, that means that it’s more than likely we’ll see discounts on games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, and Avatar Frontiers of Pandora. It also means we’ll see the first price cuts for early 2024 games like Tekken 8 and Stellar Blade. Personally, the part I’m most excited about is seeing the best PS5 controllers go on sale.
The DualSense Edge has been around for well over a year now, and I’ve been waiting for its price to drop ever since. I love Sony’s first stab at a pro controller, but there’s no denying it’s needlessly expensive. Other PS5 controllers made by third-party brands that arguably have more functionality cost around the $179 / £179 mark, which still isn’t cheap. The DualSense Edge has been perfectly happy to sit at its $199 / £210 MSRP since it arrived on the shelves though, and its lack of any significant price drops has killed any excitement around it.
2023’s deals events came and went, and no DualSense Edge Price changes were seen. Black Friday even failed to bring about any significant deals on what might be one of the best PC controllers. With PlayStation’s Days of Play sale that just passed, however, I finally saw a glimmer of hope.
Let's cross our fingers...
It wasn’t a massive price drop, certainly not the one I’d been hoping for, but the Edge did see a measly $10 off its price thanks to the Days of Play sale. To me, that signals that Sony hasn’t forgotten about its flagship gamepad, and maybe, just maybe, we could see more serious discounts going forward.
In fairness, it’s about time. First-party hardware always tends to hold its price a bit better than officially licensed stuff, but even so, it’s been over a year since DualSense Edge reviewers almost universally argued that the controller was too expensive.
We saw the PSVR 2, an even larger investment for PlayStation VR fans, swallow a $100/£100 price drop during Days of Play, so it’s not as if Sony isn’t aware that to reignite interest in its expensive gear, its discounts need to be big.
Prime Day could bring about a heftier DualSense Edge deal for that reason - it’s the Summer, the company isn’t releasing many first-party games, and it’s a good opportunity to entice PS5 owners to spend a little extra on a premium controller when they’d usually expect to buy a replacement DualSense for a bit cheaper.
The PC argument
Sony has continued to bring more and more of its experiences to the gaming PC realm in recent times and with experiences like God of War Ragnarok, Returnal, and Ghost of Tsushima all touting exclusive DualSense features, a sale on the alluring pro version of the PS5 controller could force new players’ hands. The DualSense’s innovative features are interesting enough and add so much to first-party games, but a pro model with extra features and magnetic back paddles is one way to make hardware enthusiasts sit up and take notice.
The bundle of dreams
I really didn’t think I had to write this one down for Sony, but apparently, I do. If first-party games are lacking this year, a PS5 bundle that includes a DualSense Edge seems like an obvious way to keep selling hardware.
This is more likely wishful thinking, but it shouldn’t be. Seriously, PlayStation, if you’re reading this, just make it happen. I claim no ownership over the idea, I only want you to give the people what they want, and yes, it’ll make you money.
Unfortunately…
I hate to say it, but after waiting this long for DualSense Edge price cuts, I don’t have much hope that we’ll see them for a long time yet.
The fact that other PS5 controllers like the Victrix Pro BFG sit below the Edge in price probably means we’re less likely to see a major price drop. Not only does it signal that Sony believes its first-party product is as good as the officially licensed options, but there are also parameters set out in those licenses that ensure no unfair, direct competition.
That means we’re less likely to see major price movements for a while longer. I personally hope I’m reading too much into things here, and that Prime Day might bring about the deals I’m hoping for. If not, however, here are some other PS5 controllers I’d recommend watching out for this July.
Grab a controller for more in-depth simulator games like the best joysticks, the best racing wheels for PC, and the best PS5 steering wheel.
