Sony Provides Early Linux Support For The PS5 DualSense Edge Controller

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Sony Provides Early Linux Support For The PS5 DualSense Edge Controller

Sony recently announced the DualSense Edge wireless controller for the PlayStation 5 as an "ultra-customizable controller". This $199 USD controller isn't even available for sale until the end of January while already Sony has contributed initial support to their "hid-playstation" open-source Linux kernel driver for supporting the DualSense Edge...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Sony-DualSense-Edge-Linux

[baka0815]

Well if one has about 250€ lying around for a gamepad...

WiiU Pro Controller or XBox controllers are waayyyy cheaper (50~70€).

Does anyone know a page with a good overview of supported controllers and tests for the controllers? I'm thinking about buying an XBox Gamepad but I dunno if I should go for a XBox Series gamepad or if a XBox 360 pad would do. Or if a ps4 controller might be the better choice...

[M@GOid]

Well if one has about 250€ lying around for a gamepad...

WiiU Pro Controller or XBox controllers are waayyyy cheaper (50~70€).

Does anyone know a page with a good overview of supported controllers and tests for the controllers? I'm thinking about buying an XBox Gamepad but I dunno if I should go for a XBox Series gamepad or if a XBox 360 pad would do. Or if a ps4 controller might be the better choice...

(note: by compatible, I mean outside Steam Input).

I have a small collection of controllers. The undefeated champion of compatibility is the XB360 wired. Problem is, you cannot get one brand new anymore, unless you count knockoffs that are not as compatible or durable. The Wireless one is nowhere near as compatible.

The Xbone and PS4 controllers have good compatibility (outside Steam Input), but the Xbone have problems with Bluetooth adapters. You can pair it fine, but subsequent connections will be plagued with a high time to connect or flat out failing. I cannot recommend it with Bluetooth, but the official wireless adapter works great, although you have to manually install it using community drivers.

Logitech controllers (I have the F710 wireless) have great support, second only to the XB360, BUT, I find their ergonomics atrocious. The friend that bought it gave it to me for free because how terrible it is. I kept it just for collecting purposes. Other owners have defended its honor in the past, but to me is just not being aware that there are better things available.

The 8BitDo controllers are said to be good options outside the big 3 (Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft), but I don't have one so I cannot blindly vouch for them. I still pretend to get one tough.

[discordian]

Well if one has about 250€ lying around for a gamepad...

WiiU Pro Controller or XBox controllers are waayyyy cheaper (50~70€).

Well, no brand stuff starts at 15€. Kinda useless if you dont compare what you get for it. The PS5 Dualsense is 70€ MRSP I think,
which would already compare favorable to the ones you mentioned (the active force feedback on the triggers is crazy)

The price of the Dualsense edge is a joke however.

Does anyone know a page with a good overview of supported controllers and tests for the controllers? I'm thinking about buying an XBox Gamepad but I dunno if I should go for a XBox Series gamepad or if a XBox 360 pad would do. Or if a ps4 controller might be the better choice...

Better for what? The PS4/PS5 gamepads work painlessly with Linux and Chromebooks both wired and wireless. I suppose Steam has an affinity to Xbox Controllers, but I wouldnt know anything bout that.

[skeevy420]

Hard pass on that one, Sony. For $250 I could buy one XWA or two UWA eyepieces for my telescope. Y'all already tricked me out of $75 for my regular PS5 controller. Y'all won't trick me this time.

Well if one has about 250€ lying around for a gamepad...

WiiU Pro Controller or XBox controllers are waayyyy cheaper (50~70€).

Does anyone know a page with a good overview of supported controllers and tests for the controllers? I'm thinking about buying an XBox Gamepad but I dunno if I should go for a XBox Series gamepad or if a XBox 360 pad would do. Or if a ps4 controller might be the better choice...

The TLDR:

If anyone wants a premium controller, buy an Xbox-based premium. The brand doesn't matter, just premium and Xbox-based and you'll be good to go. The two exceptions to that rule are if you're into emulation and need gyro support (that's where Sony controllers shine) or you or someone you game with owns a PS5.

The TL:

The PS5 controller isn't a great controller on Linux and the battery life is just awful. I can't stress how awful the battery life is. At best you'll get around four hours a charge and it takes an hour or two to charge it up.

That wouldn't be so bad but it gets picked up as different kinds of controllers depending of if its wired or BT. By that I mean games with PS support will give you PS prompts when wired and 360 prompts when wireless on both Windows and Linux using OS drivers or Steam Input. Its very annoying. Controller starts dying, plug it in, and now your prompts switch from 360 to PS4. Some games go so wonky that you have to stop and start the game if you go between wired and wireless.

DS4Windows on Windows is the only way to reliably force how the controller is detected by games. Even with that you'll either end up using Xbox prompts the majority of the time or start modding games with button prompt mods to get PS prompts all the time.

If we're talking Windows-only, because of DS4Windows, the PS5 controller is a great controller outside of its horrendous battery life. Because of the battery life and less-than-stellar Linux support I'd suggest the PS4 controller or an 8bitdo Pro 2. If the Wired/Wireless detection stuff ever gets fixed the PS5 will be a better choice on Linux (granted the battery life will still be so crappy that you'll need two controllers to play games all day).

Also, lots of emulators support its gyro functions and games like BOTW even have PS4/5 button prompt mods. If you're into emulation the gyro makes PS4 and PS5 controllers some of the best you can get.

I also have an 8bitdo Pro 2 and, for the most part, its a good controller. Terrific battery life. The only thing I don't like about it is it has a modifier button to the left of the left stick that I fat thumb all the damn time. It got so bad that I had to disable that functionality of the controller in their software. Oh, yeah, their software kind of sucks. The only plus is you can use the Android version of their software to configure it which helps if you dual boot.

[elatllat]

ps4 controller is missing BT audio, but works well otherwise.

[skeevy420]

Well, no brand stuff starts at 15€. Kinda useless if you dont compare what you get for it. The PS5 Dualsense is 70€ MRSP I think,
which would already compare favorable to the ones you mentioned (the active force feedback on the triggers is crazy)

The price of the Dualsense edge is a joke however.



Better for what? The PS4/PS5 gamepads work painlessly with Linux and Chromebooks both wired and wireless. I suppose Steam has an affinity to Xbox Controllers, but I wouldnt know anything bout that.

I wouldn't call it painlessly. They are some of the most annoying controllers I've ever used on Linux in regards to playing non-emulated games. Mainly how they're detected and how button prompts work. For me its annoying enough that I've basically quit gaming on Linux and wish I never bought the PS5 controller when my cat chewed up my PS4 controller's thumb sticks.

The joke is the battery life on the PS5 controller.

[MastaG]

For Xbox controllers, just install xpad-noone, xpadneo and xone from their GitHub pages.
They all make use of dkms so kernel updates shouldn't be a problem.

Then you'll be able to use any Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One/Series controller using wired, bluetooth or the official Xbox 360/One/Series wireless adapters.

[YCbCr]

WiiU Pro Controller or XBox controllers are waayyyy cheaper (50~70€).

Well the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 has an MSRP of 179.99 € vs 239.99 € for the Dual Sense Edge (both are imo massively overpriced). Nintendo doesn't even offer anything comparable. The regular Dual Sense is much more reasonable at ~ 66-75 €.

Does anyone know a page with a good overview of supported controllers and tests for the controllers? I'm thinking about buying an XBox Gamepad but I dunno if I should go for a XBox Series gamepad or if a XBox 360 pad would do. Or if a ps4 controller might be the better choice...

Most PC games nowadays assume Xbox (compatible) controllers, so you might run into issues or shortcomings with controllers that deviate in terms of layout or features. For example analog triggers on Switch and Wii [U] controllers or the missing "stick buttons" on the latter.

Newer Xbox controllers might have issues with force feedback, depending on the model and firmware, see https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-...-Rumble-Driver. Xbox 360 pads on the other hand mean dealing with the proprietary receiver and charging cables (if you want to go wireless)

Dual Shock 3/4 or Dual Sense on the other hand work pretty painlessly and the touchpad sometimes comes in handy for couch gaming.

8BitDo used to be a solid choice for their Linux support but the same can't be said for the latest models. Their firmware is also pretty atrocious. The hardware on the other hand is nothing to complain about.

[discordian]

I wouldn't call it painlessly. They are some of the most annoying controllers I've ever used on Linux in regards to playing non-emulated games. Mainly how they're detected and how button prompts work. For me its annoying enough that I've basically quit gaming on Linux and wish I never bought the PS5 controller when my cat chewed up my PS4 controller's thumb sticks.

You mean that "Linux" Games (ie. either emulated or quickly ported Windows Games) know nothing but XBox Controllers? Yeah, annoying. Stopped buying Windows Games since XInput replaced the more universal DirectInput
The emus and games not catered for Windows / wanna-be-windows-water-vapor-software kinda prove its possible to properly support controllers on Linux.