The DualSense was uncontested for over a year until Scuf's Reflex PS5 Pro controllers hit the scene, which has left many wondering when Sony will bring out their own Pro controller for PS5.
Sure, the DualSense is still barely a year old, but with so many pro gamers looking to take advantage of the lightning-fast loading speeds and high frames-per-second that the PS5 can offer, we're expecting to see something sooner rather than later.
But when exactly could we see a PS5 Pro controller, and just what should we expect?
Here's everything we know so far.
PS5 Pro Controller Release Date
As of now, the expected controller hasn't been announced, so there's no release date just yet, but are there any breadcrumbs to follow that could give us some insight?
If we take a look back at the DualShock 4, the gamepad was released alongside the PS4 in November 2013, very much like the DualSense with PS5.
Since then, we've seen a number of variations of the DualShock which have been mostly aesthetic, bar one back attachment accessory that added two mappable buttons.
When the PS4 Pro was released, a fitting opportunity to update the controller once more, we didn't see anything new.
That may rule out a PS5 Pro controller releasing with the predicted PS5 Pro if this pattern continues.
Even Microsoft themselves have updated their existing pro-orientate gamepad, the Elite Series, a couple of times...and three years apart, which doesn't appear to give much hope for a PS5 Pro controller being just around the corner.
Perhaps we should be asking just how likely Sony are to actually release a PS5 Pro controller?
click to enlargeWill There Be A PS5 Pro Controller?
At this point, it's hard to say, however with the growth of the causal competitive gaming audience and pro-gamer too it seems that it would make sense to get a slice of the action.
SCUF have already laid down the gauntlet by creating the Reflex FPS, which does away with rumble units to lighten the load and features hair triggers instead of the adaptive triggers of the DualSense.
Sony could well be considering releasing their own version created with first-person shooters in mind as an alternative, based on how popular the controller turns out to be.
We'd say the gaming community wants one, but whether Sony answer the call is yet to be seen.
PS5 Pro Controller Specs: Our Predictions
As far as specs and features go there are a few things we'd really like to see in a PS5 Pro controller.
Paddles
First off, whether you think paddles are worth it or not, we need to see them on them a PS5 Pro controller.
Many of the best gamers out there today use them and they're very important to shaving milliseconds of your inputs, which is all that's needed to win or lose nowadays.
When you've got prize money, ranking, and reputation on the line, every millisecond counts, so we'd like to see Sony feature these with a PS5 Pro controller.
Hair Triggers
Hair triggers, as mentioned, hold a big appeal to first-person shooter gamers for the same reason.
While adaptive triggers are great for immersion, for most people playing competitively, it's just not that much of a must-have.
What we need is something super-responsive that can give us the edge online.
Improved Grip
Much like the Scuf Reflex Pro and FPS options, we'd like to see an improved grip surface on the PS5 Pro controller too.
It makes a lot of sense to do this and it's already a feature on some of the best PS4 controllers out there today.
Case
We'd like to see a PS5 Pro controller have its own case as the Xbox Elite Series 2 has.
For competitive gamers moving around to different tournaments or even just playing with friend's, it's important that the controller is protected when carried in a bag.
This leads us on to nicely to another factor...
PS5 Pro Controller Price
The price of the DualSense at the moment comes in at $69.99 / £59.99 at the time of writing.
We're expecting that a PS5 Pro controller would be considerably more than that, potentially tipping the scales at close to $150 - $200.
This is based purely on the SCUF Reflex controllers, which are quite pricey.
The Xbox Elite Series 2 controller hovers around $200 also, so we are expecting to make an investment by upgrading for PS5.
That being said, controllers are an investment no matter how you look at them and much like the best gaming monitors and best headsets, they can make all the difference.
We'll be back with you soon with all the latest on what could be Sony's pro controller entry soon.
Read More: The Best PS5 Controllers Available Now