CES 2025 has kicked off, and amidst all of the new tech reveals, Hyperkin has unveiled a new Xbox and PC controller that appears to borrow heavily from the design of the PlayStation DualSense controller. Dubbed the Competitor, this is a wired controller that features some premium hardware inside of it, like Hall Effect analog sticks and triggers. Official pricing and a release date have yet to be revealed, but we’ll update this post with preorder links as soon as Hyperkin makes those details public.
Like the DualSense, the Competitor features a similar layout of face buttons, symmetrical analog sticks, and a familiar placement of face buttons (via IGN). The D-pad is also heavily influenced by the DualSense with its transparent buttons and placement, and for extras, two additional inputs on the gamepad’s rear can be found. There’ll be two variants available for purchase when it launches: a regular black Competitor controller and one with white face-plates to create a two-color tone.
While the Competitor looks like a DualSense controller, it remains to be seen if it’ll feel like one. The overall ergonomics look almost identical to its primary inspiration, but the DualSense does feature nuanced haptic feedback features that aren’t present in an Xbox controller.
While it can be used on a PC as well, so can a DualSense controller. The caveat here is that accessing DualSense features in a PlayStation game ported to a PC typically requires the controller to be tethered to your PC via USB-C, whereas on a PS5 console, you can still experience these features wirelessly. Anyone looking for something with more of a retro flair can also check out a previous collaboration between Hyperkin and Xbox, as the peripherals manufacturer revived the iconic Duke controller for modern Xbox systems.
