Are you considering getting a new modded controller from Dream Controller? You might want to read this review before you make your decision…
Today, we’ll be looking at one of Dream Controller’s custom controllers. This is the modded version of one of their PS5 controllers, which—clocking in at $200 ($167 for an unmodded version)—costs nearly 3 times the cost of an unskinned, unmodded PS5 controller. And so the question becomes: Is it worth it?
The realm of custom (skinned) controllers has always been a weird one. In most cases, there’s little to no difference in functionality between a custom controller and a normal, stock controller. While the Dream Controller is in fact modded, the hefty price tag leaves it with a great need to prove its worth. And, considering the nature of such a product, there are different metrics of quality to consider.
Quality
Perhaps the most important of these metrics is the quality of the skin that’s been put onto the controller. The Dream Controller actually scores pretty well here—at least on the surface. I received the Galaxy Custom controller, pictured above. The colors are vibrant, and the plating of the controller fits snugly, leading to a solid grip without any slips or give.
However, it seems that the printing doesn’t go all the way through the plastic. Case in point:
It may be somewhat nitpicky, but you have to consider what you’re giving up when buying a controller like this. The asking price of $200 is a hard sell. It’s expensive enough that you could buy a regular PS5 controller and upgrade (or flat-out purchase) another, more essential peripheral—or potentially even one of your system’s internal hardware pieces. It’s something to consider, if nothing else.
Modifications
I received a modded version of the Dream Controller Galaxy Custom Wireless for the purpose of this review. And so naturally, those mods become an important part of the controller to consider. The custom binds available to the modded version of Dream Controllers are as follows:
Firing Features
- Rapid Fire (Essentially full-auto mode for Semi-Auto weapons)
- Burst Fire (Burst fire for Semi-Auto weapons)
- Akimbo Fire (Used for dual-wielding type weapons)
- Mimic Fire (Binds the L2 fire button to R2)
Tactical Features:
- Adjustable Fast Reload
- Drop Shot
- Jump Shot
- Auto Sniper Breathe/Steady
- Quick Scope
- Auto Run
- Zombies Auto Aim
As I’m sure you’ve realized, the modded version of these controllers is heavily geared towards Multiplayer, PvP-based FPS games—but the mods themselves are certainly not universal. The advantages of these modded inputs depends heavily on the type of games you play. For example, in Apex Legends, you’re both unable to prone, and unable to steady your aim when scoped in with a sniper rifle. It largely depends on the game, but some features will be rendered completely obsolete. Consider what games you personally play, and what action each title allows players to perform—you could very well end up with a fair number of the modded inputs being rendered useless.
Anecdotally, the rapid-fire mode proved to be quite useful. While it obviously won’t allow the user to fire faster than the game allows, not needing to press the fire button multiple times led to a steadier hold on the controller, which generally led to more accurate aim.
That said, the overall clunkiness of the modding implementation outweighs any positives pretty significantly. While the mods can be toggled on and off through a relatively simple combination of inputs, this “ease of access” is also its biggest downside. The inputs used to toggle the modifications on and off are tied to keys that are often pressed (and spammed) throughout a variety of games. This led to a frustratingly high number of instances where I would accidentally toggle the mod on, leading to a variety of consequences in the game that I was playing. And while you can disable any and all mods with another input, the input itself is complex enough that it becomes bothersome to toggle them on and off when switching between games.
Speaking from my own experience with the controller, I ran into some pretty severe issues with the mods as well. On some occasions they seemed to toggle themselves on and off, and they frequently caused other issues, even in the FPS titles that they were meant to be used in. The most annoying of these issues unfortunately proved to be the most common one as well.
Frequently, when attempting to ADS, instead of using the “hold to ADS” scheme it was set to, the game would end up violently toggling between the two. This tended to occur at least once a match, and always proved to be extremely disorienting, if not downright nauseating.
Other Factors to Consider
This controller is, essentially, a luxury item—which means there’s a few other factors to consider. Among these factors are the selection of controllers available, the presentation of the controller, and the responsiveness of add-on costs, such as shipping.
To their credit, Dream Controller has a pretty wide selection available, ranging all the way from beloved antiheroes like Venom, all the way to Son Goku from Dragonball. The good ends there, though.
Despite FedEx and the Shop app/extension claiming a 2-day delivery time, it took nearly 2 weeks for the controller to arrive. This is likely in part due to the purchase date being close to Thanksgiving, however, which gives the merchant some leeway.
That being said, by far the biggest issue I have is that it seems I was shipped a damaged product.
It may be a tad difficult to discern, but the touch-pad portion of the controller has a very visible scratch on it; right above the blue coloring, on the right side of the picture. The most puzzling (and disappointing) part of the damage is that there’s nothing in the package that would be able to damage the controller in such a way. The box contained the controller, foam padding, and a couple sheets of paper—nothing else. This leaves only one real conclusion: The controller was shipped in a damaged state.
Verdict: Not Worth the Price
Our rating: 4.0/10
Make no mistake, this is still a “good” controller—but much of that is owed to the fact that it’s just a reskinned PS5 DualSense controller. The modded inputs that the product offers are good in theory, but the clunky implementation and rampant bugginess of the mods themselves were so frustrating that I frequently turned them off entirely—at which point it’s just a regular controller with a not-so-high-quality skin on it. Unless there’s a character specific skin that you really like and can’t find anywhere else, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
