Have you ever wanted to customize your controller? The MegaModz Build Your Own PS5 Controller lets you do exactly that with a wide selection of cosmetic, comfort, and performance-related options to include.
Choose Your Options
Whilst you can choose from a selection of pre-built controllers, I designed my own. You can choose from the Dualsense or Dualsense Edge (along with controllers for other consoles and even custom Steam Decks), but my experience was with customizing the Dualsense for PlayStation 5.
You can build your own custom controller through a webpage with a lot of options to choose from. Each selection updates the appearance of the image, so you can get a good idea of how it will turn out. A few options aren’t compatible with each other, which it fortunately highlights and stops you from selecting, unlike certain other custom builders. I found the building process to be easy and it was fun to try different combinations.
All controllers are built with an official PlayStation 5 Dualsense as the base, which most readers will be familiar with. As such, I’ll only be mentioning thoughts on the changes made for the MegaModz Build Your Own PS5 Controller.
Cosmetic Options
MegaModz has put together a huge number of cosmetic options for their custom controllers, including the PlayStation 5 one. The body, back, trim, and touchpad which make up the main body can all be customized separately, which can lead to some amazing designs, or a mishmash of randomness if you prefer.
The body and trim include a massive selection of designs. There are original colors, new colors, and designs, with patterns or pictures from flags to demons to dollar bills. The body has additional options for a shiny chrome finish, while the trim has retro-style transparent options.
Whilst many of the body and trim designs are the same as you may see in other custom controller stores, the selection is wider than most here. Some of the options like transparency or certain types of backs aren’t available in some other stores. That said, MegaModz won’t have everything. For example, transparent controller bodies are available in some stores, but they’re not an option here.
It’s not just those parts. Everything you can touch on the controller can be replaced except for three parts. The mute mic and PS buttons are not too surprising, but I found it odd that there were no options to replace the R1/R2 and L1/L2 buttons, as I have had replacements on other custom controllers.
For the D-Pad, buttons, analog sticks, and so on, there are a lot of options. You can choose from 46 different types of buttons and 44 types of D-Pad for example. Thumbsticks are a little more limited with 26 types, and only 6 if you choose a set that comes with both concave and convex and at different lengths. The different shapes of analog sticks are more for higher-level FPS players, but it’s a choice they’ll have to make. On the plus side, the ones I received had useful bumps on them to increase grip.
Not all of them have matching options for the other parts, so there are fewer options if you want a consistent controller. For example, only the D-Pad and thumbsticks come in Aluminum Gunmetal, whilst the closest matching set of action buttons is a darker gunmetal color. Most buttons don’t have symbols either, which is due to a trademark issue.
In terms of material quality, it all feels great. I chose a patterned trim design that feels just as high-quality as a regular one, if slightly smoother. The transparent touchpad looks great with the circuit board visible underneath, though it does have a few smudges when I look closely. Most of the other parts look official, except for the additional parts on the back (discussed below) which fit in perfectly in terms of color and feel.
Performance Options
The performance options for MegaModz Build Your Own PS5 Controller include something that services I’ve tried before haven’t had: the option to include a mod chip already set up for certain Call of Duty titles. This can be set up by selecting mod packages or adding mods one by one which include quick functions such as auto heal, auto sprint, sniper breath assistance, and more. That said, while it includes some information about this on the MegaModz website, it could do with some further explanation up front for those who haven’t used it before.
As someone who isn’t much of a Call of Duty player, I instead went for the 2 Buttons Macro Remap attachment on the back of the controller. This adds two buttons on the back in a similar way to the Dualshock Edge. There are several options for 2 or 4 back buttons, some compatible with mods and some not. This one wasn’t.
The remapping process was simple, allowing most of the standard buttons on the control to be remapped to the back buttons. This can be useful as a quick trigger, a way to navigate menus, or whatever else you need. This option also includes some of the standard assistance options like automatic double-tap, turbo, and so on. Customization of these features is included, but it can get somewhat complex. There is a rather in-depth guide which I’d suggest potential purchasers take a look at first.
The back buttons themselves are easy to use quickly, sitting where fingers would be placed in a regular controller grip. I did occasionally accidentally press them at first, but this didn’t happen after getting used to it. The back itself allowed the inclusion of a rubberized grip, which adds to the comfort a lot and included quite a few color options, as long as you’re including the back buttons in your controller build. The purple grip I chose fits in nicely with the main body.
The other performance options are mechanical face buttons and triggers. These shorten the distance the button or trigger has to travel before activating.
The face buttons are a nice convenience. They might only save a tiny fraction of a second, but it makes playing a little more comfortable.
The shoulder buttons, especially the triggers are a much bigger change. These can increase your shooting speed in FPS games significantly. For the triggers, it changes from a 7mm to a 1.6mm distance to activate. They’re amazing for FPS titles, but won’t work well for titles where you need the full length of the trigger such as racing titles where how much you accelerate depends on how much the trigger is pressed down. This removes support for adaptive trigger functions too, which is rarely significant but is used well in several PlayStation 5 games such as Devil May Cry 5.
The mechanical face and shoulder buttons come with a few options, but it is worth mentioning that whenever I’ve checked, the option to choose only one of them has been listed as Sold Out. This is a pity since non-FPS players would benefit from the option to choose mechanical face buttons only, as the trigger modification can be inconvenient in some situations.
As a slight tangent, I’m still hoping that a trigger depth selection mod is created at some point, similar to the HexGaming Hyper Controller for the PlayStation 4. I’ve not seen any for the PlayStation 5 yet though, so this isn’t a failing of MegaModz as they only use what parts they can get.
While this article is about the PlayStation 5 controller, it’s worth noting that MegaModz Nintendo Switch Pro controller customization offers some similar performance options. Having tried some other custom controller builders, not all of them offer this for Nintendo.
Verdict
The MegaModz Build Your Own PS5 Controller is an amazing upgrade for FPS players particularly, with some functions coming in handy for other genres too. They offer a ton of customization in appearance, matching, or beating, the competition in most ways. There are a few minor issues as mentioned in the review, but these are things that won’t affect most people looking to buy a modified PlayStation 5 controller.
MEGAMODZ BUILD YOUR OWN PS5 CONTROLLER IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Purchase: MegaMods Website
Looking for a Pro Controller for XBox and PC instead? Take a look at the Nacon Revolution X Pro.
Many thanks go to MegaModz for providing a review unit.
A gamer since the days of Amstrad and DOS and someone who has dabbled in a variety of professions. He enjoys a wide variety of genres, but has been focusing on visual novels and virtual reality in recent years. Head Editor of NookGaming. Follow him and the website on @NookSite.