I have the 'Elite' Xbox One controller myself so have spent a lot of money on a peripheral. To give some perspective, in the 20+months I have had my XB1, I have effectively gone through 3-4 controllers - all problems with the left Thumbstick because the majority of my hours spent gaming are in games that require a lot of thumbstick button clicking, holding it down and pushed forward. As a result 2 left thumbsticks have significant 'play' meaning that they don't work as efficiently. Another one causes my character to move without actually touching the controller and my 4th (although working) has a big groove (around 1-2mm deep) worn into the shaft from constantly rubbing against the casing. The 'Elite' has metal shafts and metal parts inside that should improve its durability significantly. In terms of its build it also has brushed metal triggers and bumpers too. The casing itself is a matte satin finish with rubberised grips. This really helps for longer gaming sessions - particularly if you get 'sweaty' hands. Holding it feels a lot more solid and substantial and its design (regardless of your view on the positioning of the sticks) looks classy too - it really feels like you are holding a 'premium' grade controller. It comes with 'software' (downloadable via the store) to customise everything - allocate every button, paddle etc to whatever you want it to do. Not only that you can also adjust the sensitivity of the sticks and triggers as well as the intensity of each of the 4 rumbles. Because of all this, it actually works out cheaper than its competition and the overall build quality means it should last longer than all other available controllers. The customisation means you can tailor it to your own individual needs as well as to any game too. In terms of costs, if it lasts 20months+ it will also work out significantly cheaper than my first 20 months for controllers. Even if you don't want or need the paddles for your gaming, I would still recommend this - particularly for those that game a lot.

So how does this translate to the DS4. Whilst I do think the current DS4 is the best controller that Sony have produced in terms of comfort, features etc, I do think its got issues with durability and build quality for prolonged gaming - it may last well if you don't play many hours a week but for those that play a LOT, its not going to last the life span of the console. It lacks the same customisation and options that 'elite/pro' controllers can offer too. I know some issues can be 'fixed' by thumbstick covers and maybe Kontrolfreeks too. Considering the fact that a controller is the interface and most important peripheral - without it you can't play, and the fact that it gets a lot of use, I would be willing to buy an 'Elite' type DS4. If you think how many times you could press the trigger, click (to run) the L thumbstick etc in a single match in a FPS game for example, it can very quickly add up to hundreds of thousands of times in a year.

I can understand the fact that a lot of people may not play that much and maybe not games that require a lot of trigger pulling and thumbstick clicking and rubbing on the casing too so an expensive 'elite' controller is going to be an unnecessary expense, but for a lot of people, the DS4 is not going to last the duration of the console. I consider myself as someone who does spend a lot of time gaming and my DS4, although working, doesn't feel as 'good' as it did on day 1. Its showing definite signs of wear too and my left thumbstick is starting to get a bit less responsive and rarely but does happen, doesn't seem to 'click' when pressed.

Battery life on the DS4 is 'poor' and never lasts the duration of my gaming sessions. I guess it does use a lot of power with its bluetooth connection, its speaker, its rumble and touchpad too. I know its 'convenient' to have a built in rechargeable battery but it also limits its life. No rechargeable battery has an infinite number of charges and/or will continue to last the same time under a single charge. As soon as that battery reaches its life expectancy, the whole controller is useless as a wireless device - I know you can still use it with a cable. The XB1 controller can use standard AA's as well as a rechargeable pack and can also be used with a cable (which also charges the pack). This means that as soon as that pack reaches its life expectancy, it can be replaced without the need to replace the whole controller.

To summarise, the 'Elite' is a well built, customisable quality controller and I hope Sony bring out their own version because I would certainly consider buying it if it matches the quality and price of the Elite