The DualSense Edge is Sony's first official premium PS5 controller, adding several new features to justify its attractive $199 price tag, but a recent teardown video reveals a disappointing downgrade.

Released earlier this week (Thursday, January 26), the DualSense Edge is now in the hands of gamers worldwide. And while most owners would expect to be playing the PS5's best games with this controller, Australian electronics group Budd's Controllers (opens in new tab) has instead taken the pad apart to dissect its innards (discovered by VGC (open in new tab))

The group's disassembly video (opens in new tab) shows that the DualSense Edge has a smaller battery than the regular DualSense controller. The original PS5 pad has a 1,560 mAh battery, but the Edge has replaced this with an apparently smaller 1050 mAh power pack. This is roughly the same size as the 1,000 mAh battery in the PS4 DualShock 4.

It should be noted that a smaller battery does not automatically mean shorter battery life. The device's duration before needing to be recharged can be improved through efficient power usage. However, early reviews of the DualSense Edge indicated that the controller's battery life was one of its biggest drawbacks, suggesting that Sony made sacrifices in this area in order to pack the Edge's many new features.

Indeed, Sony itself has not been shy about this battery downgrade. Last month, the company told The Verge that the Edge controller's battery life is "moderately short" compared to the standard DualSense. This is apparently due to the fact that "more features are included in the same form factor and ergonomic design."

Sony also confirmed that the Edge's goal is to "combine wireless operation time with robust, high-performance features." To that end, the premium pad features a number of upgrades, including interchangeable sticks, back buttons, and customizable triggers, but these additional features come at the expense of battery life.

At least the controller comes with a long USB cable that can be secured to prevent unexpected disconnections. Sony states that this is an option to preserve battery life. However, the freedom of not being tied to a gaming console comes at a rather large cost. Of course, some competitive gamers actually prefer to play wired, as wireless connections can increase input latency.

We are still in the process of testing the new PS5 controller and cannot yet comment definitively on the charging time of the DualSense Edge. Stay tuned for the results.