use steam controller wired without draining batteries

We haven’t done extensive battery testing, but early teardowns have shown that the battery pack has about 50% more capacity than the DualShock 4’s battery pack. The PS5’s DualSense comes with a battery pack built in (another reason for the higher price). We haven’t used it, but if it’s anything like the last one, it should give you 20-30 hours per charge (with diminishing charges over the course of several years). If you’d rather not blow through disposable batteries, Microsoft does make a Play and Charge Kit for the new controller.

This will vary somewhat, but overall it’s pretty good bang for your buck. Dropping two AA batteries into it should grant you between 30 to 40 hours of gameplay time. Yet another no-contest category, but this time it’s the new Xbox controller that takes it (with some caveats). Photo: Henry Hargreaves for Polygon PS5 or Xbox: Which controller has better battery life? But most of the internals are pretty much the same as what was in the Xbox One controller. The new Xbox controller brings with it all of the features that the Xbox One controller had and adds a Share button and an improved D-pad. The DualSense also has a returning touchpad, a gyroscope for motion controls, and a built-in speaker. As are the new haptics, which make the controller’s vibrations far more accurate and varied. The adaptive triggers, which adjust the tension of the triggers based on what’s happening on screen, are incredible. The PS5’s DualSense adds several major features that its predecessor did not have. PS5 or Xbox: Which controller has more features? Like the black cube of a console, the new Xbox controller does a better job of disappearing into the background of your living space than the DualSense doesīut unlike many of the other data points here, you can easily decide this one for yourself, thanks to our lovely photography. The new Xbox controller’s aesthetics aren’t bad by any means.

It’s also got some nifty details, like a teeny tiny pattern of the familiar “shape” buttons acting as the grip on the handles. The white and black, mixed with the subtle glow from the touchpad, looks slightly furitistic without being overwhelmingly so. And yet, the design of the DualSense controller works for me. I’ve openly said I despise the PS5’s giant white and black tower of a console. PS5 or Xbox: Which controller looks better?Īnother subjective one, but hey, you’ve come to me. Hard to say, but if you forced me to pick, I’d go with the PS5 DualSense. That said, other members of the Polygon team have reported some hand cramping with the PS5 DualSense, so it’s heavily dependent on hand size and comfort preferences. The new Xbox controller’s smaller handles are an improvement on the old design, but I’m not sure about the new, stiffer triggers, which seem to require much more force than the old Xbox One triggers did.

Personally, I find the PS5’s DualSense more comfortable to hold for long periods of time, thanks to its longer handles and triggers that fit more naturally into my resting index fingers. At present, the only person at Polygon who has used both of the new controllers is, uh, me. This will really come down to personal preference. Photo: Henry Hargreaves for Polygon PS5 or Xbox: Which controller is more comfortable?

Use steam controller wired without draining batteries