Sony PS5 controller
Shares rank 5 of 6 game controllers by recommenders
People recommend it for easy setup and reliable performance. Common caveat: battery life.
People recommend it for easy setup and reliable performance. Common caveat: battery life.
9 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 7
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 78%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 7 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Works reliably with little setup
“it worked without needing to install anything”
Comment from 6 May 2026 in “Valve releases Steam Controller CAD files under Creative Commons license” “has been working flawlessly after that”
Comment from 13 May 2026 in “Linux gaming is faster because Windows APIs are becoming Linux kernel features”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Poor battery life, often dead
“the PS5 controller has terrible battery life and is often dead when I need it”
Comment from 12 Nov 2025 in “Steam Machine”
Other game controllers people recommend
The four most recommended other game controllers, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam Controller | 74 | 44 | 63% | 10 | — | — |
| Xbox Wireless Controller | 18 | 9 | 67% | 11 | — | Approved |
| 8BitDo controller | 13 | 3 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| PS5 DualSense controller | 10 | 6 | 63% | 6 | — | — |
| Sony PS5 controllerThis page | 7 | 2 | 78% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
8 of the 9 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Very cheaply made given the price, but it's one of the few controllers with a touch pad that works on Linux.”
“everything else I tried had Bluetooth pairing issues / disconnects as you approached four controllers”
“I could never get the D-pad working on my PS4 controller with the Link”
“has been working flawlessly after that”
“it worked without needing to install anything”
“it was just like having a console”
“the PS5 controller is super particular about what charger you use due to Sony being dumb”
“the PS5 controller has terrible battery life and is often dead when I need it”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.