Scuf Omega

It hasn't exactly become any easier for third-party manufacturers to produce solid controllers that appeal just as directly to the general public, has it? There used to be a degree of satisfaction—though not much more than that—with Sony and Microsoft's own controllers, but particularly during this latest console generation, all three major platform holders have gone all out.

This means that even though the latest Scuf Omega, created through a direct partnership with Sony and "Officially Licensed" as it says, there is a clear direction - and thus clear shortcomings here - and these are shortcomings you might not be able to live with at this price.

Okay, so what am I on about here? Well, this controller, which will set you back £230, is more expensive than a DualSense Edge and has absolutely no vibration. Forget MotionSense, forget the feedback; it's not there at all, as Scuf has removed the motors to make the controller lighter. Consequently, there are no adaptive triggers either, which use motors to provide resistance and versatility when you press them down.

So why pay more and get less? You might ask yourself the same thing about "track day" versions of certain car models, where you likewise pay a higher price for demonstrably less... car, but the idea is that you get a tighter, more high-performance piece of kit in return. A DualSense Edge weighs 325 grams, a Scuf Omega weighs 254 grams, and for those interested in <em>performance/i> above all else, that's a difference.

The top of the controller is made from a kind of soft-touch rubber, and the base has a sea of grooves to improve grip; it feels, to put it mildly, brilliant in the hands. The new TMR magnetic analogue sticks aren't just responsive and have a lovely resistance, but there's a guarantee that you'll never experience so-called "stick drift". Scuf's Instant Triggers work flawlessly; there are Omron switches in both the so-called "face buttons" and on the controller's D-pad, and we squeezed around 16 hours of playtime out of ours, which is a whole, whole lot better than the DualSense Edge.

But now we're back to the problem from before. Previously, we lived in a world where Sony offered a rather rudimentary DualShock 4, and certainly not a more hardcore and customisable Pro version. But today, the DualSense Edge delivers an experience where you get a stunning hard case with a wealth of extra kit to create exactly the experience you want, as well as direct dashboard integration so you can change button profiles or fine-tune the experience.

By comparison, you do get a lighter controller with the Scuf Omega, but crucial features are missing, you end up paying more in the process, and your accessories are dumped into a cardboard box, with no dedicated slots for them inside the aforementioned hard case. Is that a deal-breaker? No, but this product doesn't appear to be any more expensive than the Edge, even though it actually is. And yes, you'll also have an ugly, clunky USB-A dongle dangling from your PS5.

It's impossible to fault the performance here. It's lighter, it feels brilliant in the hand, the responsiveness of these buttons is sublime, and the build quality is rock-solid. But again; the world is different, and unless you're so incredibly laser-focused on weight, there just aren't that many good reasons to choose a Scuf Omega