I bought a Hori Octa recently. I really hate the DualSense's d-pad and wanted to figure out if it was good or bad myself since the reception had been mixed for so long.
>cons
This thing is awful out of the box. You need to go online to install the device manager and update the firmware before you even start playing. You will also want to adjust the d-pad sensitivity, because the default settings just suck. I think this is where a good chunk of the negative reviews come from. Hori grossly underestimates how tech-unsavvy the average consumer is.
>mixed
The button layout will feel odd at first. The bottom buttons are shifted down to make room for the R1/R2 on the face, so it will take some getting used to.
The size is slightly bigger than a DS4. This may be a dealbreaker for dudes with bigger hands.
The controller feels very light. This is because there is no battery or rumble inside, which adds weight to most controllers. Not an issue for me, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
>pros
Despite everything else, I love this thing. The button layout makes it perfect for having eight action buttons for the right hand while the left hand focuses on movement. I can't think of any fighter that would need ten action buttons, but you do have the option with the L3 and R3 on top. I still just use them for training mode stuff.
The buttons are fat and tight. This makes hitting multiple at once for throws or EX moves easy.
The d-pad feels great once you remap the sensitivity. Pic related is what I used. I only play 2D fighters, so I can't say how well this works for Tekken. However, I did copy these settings from a Tekken player's review. I tighten the center down input slightly more so that I don't accidentally hit it when blocking. It didn't mess with me doing 22x either. With up, I feel that TK motions and IADs are a bit easier now. All the standard motions felt easy.
Overall, I can see why some people hate it, but I'm really happy with mine.