PS5's DualSense Controller Might Secretly Be A Top-Tier Peripheral For Fighting Games

The PS5 DualSense controller, which the fighting game community (FGC) has a love-hate relationship with (despite being one of the best gaming controllers), was the most popular controller at this year's Evolution Championship Series (Evo) 2025, according to a post on the r/fightsticks subreddit that tracked each controller used by the top 8 players in the top competitions. The yearly tournament, which attracts fighting game fans from across the world, is a bring your own controller (BYOC) event, which has led to a wide variety of interesting peripheral choices. For instance, this year, someone brought a ridiculously giant fight stick.

The list, which Reddit user hugs_n_giggles has been putting together since 2019, includes other gaming peripherals, such as arcade sticks, stickless controllers, and non-DualSense game pads. While arcade sticks were the most popular category, with 32, the PS5 DualSense was the most popular game pad (10), and had the most winners (3). No other individual peripheral had as many appearances or wins. Despite the DualSense being disliked by many in the fighting game community, the fact that 3 of the 8 Evo 2025 winners used this controller proves it's a top-tier pick.

PlayStation has invested heavily in fighting games, bringing essentially every popular title in the genre to the console, including "Street Fighter 6" and "Guilty Gear -Strive-." Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), which owns the PlayStation brand, cemented its relationship with the fighting game community by buying Evo in 2021, making it the owner of the most popular FGC tournament in the United States. A result of that has been the further implementation of PlayStation consoles, which were already being used prior to SIE buying Evo.

PS5 consoles, and in some cases PS4s for older titles, dominate Evo, leading many to default to the stock controller for the hardware. That could be why some players prefer the DualSense pad over others, which have more fighting game-specific features, like a tournament lock. The $69.99 DualSense is also more affordable than other fighting game-specific controllers, like the Victrix Pro KO leverless fight stick, which retails for $209.99.

Since Evo relies heavily on PS5 consoles, many competitors find it wise to bring a controller that works with the Sony console out of the gate. Otherwise, they would need to bring along a converter, like the $66 Brook Wingman FGC2. These devices make it possible to use controllers from other manufacturers on the PS5, but it's another device to keep track of, and it's also another expense. That said, it might not be a one-use purchase, as converters can also be used to make your PS5 controller work with the Nintendo Switch 2.

Another reason competitors lean toward the DualSense is that these controllers are exempt from two rules. According to the Evo rules, PS5 DualSense and PS4 DualShock controllers are exempt from the wireless ban. Other wireless controllers must be wired and have their batteries removed to be considered legal, giving the DualSense a huge leg up. In addition, DualSense controllers are exempt from the simultaneous opposite cardinal directions (SOCD) ban, which gives players certain advantages when pressing the left and right or up and down inputs at the same time. 

So, next time you're thinking of participating in a fighting game event, you may want to bring the DualSense controller. Just remember the right way to clean a PS5 controller in case you spill an energy drink on it during your bout.