Razer has announced a new high-end PS5 gamepad that will compete on PC with high-end products like Sony's upcoming DualSense Edge and Microsoft's Xbox Elite controllers Razer's Wolverine V2 Pro (opens in new tab) costs $250 and has the requisite rear paddle buttons and interchangeable thumb pad, plus "mech-haptic" button switches and "super-fast wireless" via a special dongle - perhaps to reduce input latency?

At this price, it must be the most upscale controller I have ever had in my hands. However, I don't see any killer features that would justify the price; the Xbox-style layout may be an advantage for PS5 players who prefer it, but the customizability, high-end button action, potentially improved wireless, etc. are all a bit more expensive than the DualSense Edge (new tab) is not a slam dunk that justifies $50 more than the Xbox Elite V2 and $100-150 more than the Xbox Elite V2.

At this price, I'd love to see a Hall Effect analog stick. This is a state-of-the-art, high-end solution, dubbed anti-drift, that is already used in some controllers and aftermarket analog stick modules; on the PC side, the high-end gamepad trendsetter, Microsoft's Xbox Elite controller, now looks like a modest and fiscally responsible choice, which is hard to believe.

The Xbox Elite can now be purchased in custom colors, and this is the first time I've genuinely wanted to buy a pad with a scratch on it. That Wolverine is rocking the PS5 standard livery, 2009 Apple Store Milk White, Electric Blue, and I can't think of a third, Modifier Black.

We pushed the Xbox Elite Series 2 as the overall best controller for PC gaming (open in new tab), but I'm still more than satisfied with the Xbox Core wireless controller. Frankly, plugging in two double-A's feels retro and old-fashioned. However, the peak controller design was either the Gamecube keyboard controller (opens in new tab) or the half-gamepad, half-mouse of the Holi Tactical Assault Commander (opens in new tab). The fact that neither was adopted is an indictment of our society.