HexGaming is planting their foothold in the PS5 DualSense Elite Controller scene very quickly; I scored their DualSense Rival Controller back in August an 8 for its durability, comfort and decent customization options within their website – despite the price point being steep for most players and limited accessibility options on the controller. With no official DualSense Elite in production, HexGaming provides the best option for pro players who wants to play PS5 versions of their competitive games. Fast forward just a few months and here we have the DualSense Ultimate – this is a showcase of the company’s motivation to provide premium controllers that’s extra durable compared to Rival; however, there are some elements that remains the same that can pullback Rival owners from getting an Ultimate variant.
Use Case Scenario
Without getting into the logistics of the controller, right away it feels absolutely premium; it’s weighty in design because of their rear module attached excellently for your pro fingers. The durability is far greater than Rivals, which is already durable; this is probably the best it’ll get in that regard. I was given an option to choose my design and I went with the clear plate look – I absolutely love see-through designs since I was child, and especially when I first seen the purple see-through GameBoy Color with Pokémon Silver <3.
After a couple day usage, I found that the rear module gave me much more freedom with my movement and accuracy overall. I mean, competing with these new age gamers at 31 years old is impressive….I think? Truly though, this controller is absolutely worth it – if you have the cash, and more on that below.
The Best of the Same
What’s so different with Ultimate compared to Rival you ask? Well, this time you get 4 rear buttons, a much sturdier design and rubberized grips. The rear buttons looks more like fins and placed none-traditionally. However, it works really well. I use the 2 center buttons to either swap and use special weapons or abilities, depending on the game – although HexGaming doesn’t have a software to finetune your controller, you can freely swap actions with a button below the fins – all you got to do is hold for a few seconds until a red light appears, press and hold the desire button first, then one of the rear fins. It’s a lot simpler in action than writing, I promise.
DualSense Ultimate provides more aesthetic options than Rival; want that old school controller vibe with the clear front plate? Go ahead. Oh, you want clear buttons and triggers too? Done. The sheer volume of customization to truly give the players their own unique look is astounding. While crafting your look, there’s an option for FastShots – their version of trigger stop if you really desire that; though, I personally recommend against it because still, there’s no option to switch back and forth – also, why would you take away Adaptive Triggers? Most games today has settings to shorten trigger deadzone anyway. However, here’s hoping that HexGaming provides a controller with all the freedom and accessibility as the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller; maybe add 2 small additional buttons near L1/R1 like Razers Wolverine controller – proprietary software included as this would really justify the price tag of their $199.99 base value, with an up cost of $300+ if you deck out the controller.
I mean, I get it – they’re really the only company putting forth an initiative to provide Elite Controllers for PS5 owners and trying to capitalize on it – while also making a name for themselves; it’s the nature of business. But I’m a gamer first and need much more freedom to my accessibility – especially from what they are providing at the moment, and for the cost they’re asking for. I mean, $130 above the original DualSense price because of their rear module can sound absolutely crazy for the average gamer….but then again, it isn’t designed for the average user.
Conclusion
HexGaming’s Ultimate controller is a monster – their rear module is amazingly placed, and even though the fins is an odd design, it works surprisingly well – better than their Rival counterpart. Although HexGaming is leading in DualSense Elite controllers, limited accessibility options and lack of software tuning really hinders the product for the price they’re asking for.
REVIEW SCORE: 8/10
For more on gaming news and impressions, check out my YouTube at Chris Architect: Gaming, IG at ChrisArchitect_Gaming, Twitch ChrisArchitect, Twitter ChrisArchitect0 and even TikTok at Chris_Architect – You can also check out our social media presence at IG: GStyleMagazine and Twitter: GStyleMagazine
