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PS4 controller - what's new, what's different, what's the same?

Posted February 24th, 2013 at 23:06 EDT by Kyle Prahl
15 Comments

(continued from previous page) ...it for most in-game functions, while the things we associate with 'Select'--opening a map, viewing multiplayer stats--will be incorporated elsewhere.

The touch pad

Does it have a name? Frankly, we don't know, but it doesn't really need one. The function of DualShock 4's most obvious addition is... well, obvious. With a touch pad at the controller's center, you can expect to see a more diverse array of gaming experiences on PS4: the kind of stuff formerly relegated to smartphones (and PS Vita!). However, it's important to note that DualShock 4's touch pad is NOT a touch screen; you won't be scrolling and swiping through menus unless those menus and objects are "activated" for it. Therefore, it's hard to pin down how exactly the touch pad will impact your PlayStation experience moving forward. Will the touch pad (and the fact it can be pressed like a button) fall by the wayside? I hope not, since it seems partially responsible for DualShock 4's increased size.

L1 and R1, L2 and R2

Like with its analog sticks, the DualShock 4 seems to take a page from the Xbox 360 controller with regards to L2 and R2. The PS3 triggers were praised for their sensitivity and smooth action, but often maligned for the inward curvature that made finger-slippage common. Now, L2 and R2 are concave, pointing outward away from the controller base and forming a natural indentation in which to rest your pointer fingers. This should make everything from first-person-shooters to driving games feel natural and easier to control. Meanwhile, "don't fix what ain't broke" sums up L1 and R1, which have been made bigger, but not much else. It's possible that L1 and R1 now feel more like "bumpers" than analog triggers, but without confirmation, this seems doubtful: the height of each trigger (the space between its surface and the controller base) looks the same as, if not slightly more than, previous iterations.

The light bar

Sony has been pretty vague on the light bar's purpose thus far. Early speculation (on leaked prototype photos) placed the light bar as a replacement for a Move controller. Now, after witnessing Media Molecule's intriguing PS4 Move demo, we know that PlayStation Move is alive and well. So, where does that leave the light bar? According to Sony Worldwide Studios Prez Shuhei Yoshida, the light will change colors to identify players and signal various in-game happenings - for example, when your character takes damage. In addition, the new PlayStation Camera will use it to determine your controller's spatial position, and distance from the console, in three dimensions. Sound familiar?

Yes, the difference and dynamic between the DualShock 4's light bar and your PlayStation Move controller are far from clear, but several months stand between us and PS4's November release - I'm sure Sony will have plenty to share before then.

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Now that you've had a closer look at DualShock 4, give us your thoughts in the comments below and in our forums. Is DualShock 4 a natural evolution you can't wait to hold, or an abomination of everything PlayStation stands for? Are you appalled at my hyperbole? Sound off!

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Comments

misterzadir
- 12:38am EST - February 25th, 2013
- 1
Personally, I'm very happy with the changes they've made to the controller. I love the ps2/ps3 ds controllers but they aren't perfect. All the changes I see look to be improvements. Can't wait to see how they feel.
RugerRellP89
- 12:54am EST - February 25th, 2013
- 2
Are the analog sticks spread out just tad more on the Dualshock 4? I hope they are. At first glance it seems like it, but I guess maybe they aren't.
Allen Heffley
- 1:05am EST - February 25th, 2013
- 3
I'm so excited. this is awesome
Alpha2
- 1:05am EST - February 25th, 2013
- 4
I would suspect the option button to take the place of select actually more than it being a start button as I've never equiated the start button with with the word options. If anything you might still pause the game with it but generally most games ask you to press X to start which kinda makes the start button redundant for any other purpose than pause and even then pause can be a bit redundant. But supposing developers do offer a pause feature it will probably use the touchpad. The touchpad will probably also make screen typing a little easier. Rather than needing to click through a virtual keyboard you could just rub around towhat every letters you need a lot faster.

Also I very much hope the L and R2 buttons continue to feel like the DS3's I never had a problem with slippage in fact the only problem I've ever had is holding on to them TOO tightly.
misterzadir
- 1:25am EST - February 25th, 2013
- 5
Alpha2... with almost every game, pressing start gives you options. Makes sense to me to call the button options instead of start.
Gameoholic007 | Demented007
- 4:13am EST - February 25th, 2013
- 6
This controller looks tight. Im eager to get it in my hands and see how it feels. I love the changes that Sony made to it, and looking forward to the new features that it has. I also really like the redesigned R2/L2 buttons on it. I had major problems with my fingers slipping off of them on the DS3 during gameplay, and had to buy trigger extentions to correct it. Those little extentions made the difference.
the_jim | clear_as_night
- 5:32am EST - February 25th, 2013
- 7
I don't know about anyone else but when i play, I have the controller/ my hands on my lap with the analogue sticks/ face buttons facing up or towards my face... I'm not going to see that light bar when i'm playing and important information like taking damage should be on the screen! What we've heard about the light bar so far sounds a bit pointless.

I'm interested to see it in action, especially the touchpad... I can't think of any application where the touchpad is more useful than the sticks but maybe somebody else can?
Dogswithguns
- 7:27am EST - February 25th, 2013
- 8
I'm happy with the new PS4 looks, the new design but still very much little change that's what I was hoping, expected. that's a good thing IMO.. the new touchpad can be very usefull in some of the games, games from the PS Store that I think would be better play with the touchpad.. PS4 gonna be one awesome of a console I can see from miles.
Hydraulboy | NastyReputation
- 9:46am EST - February 25th, 2013
- 9
maybe you just talk to the system and then it starts :D
GoldenPlayer
- 12:03pm EST - February 25th, 2013
- 10
i like the design of the new one, lets see how it feels when you actually hold it
PS3-The Ultimate Machine
- 12:29pm EST - February 25th, 2013
- 11
The light bar, I think, will just become a cool new way of identifying controller number (replacing the 4 little red leds on DualShock 3/SIXAXIS), which I think looks sick. The analog sticks themselves seem like the perfect blend of precision of a concave design, and the comfort of convex ones (which I find more comfortable, but definitely less precise). I think select button duties might be relegated to the touchpad, while options might work as the in-game start button, but probably the game starting task will be assigned to the touchpad button (makes more sense than saying "press OPTIONS to continue"). Overall, I really like the new design; it looks like the perfect evolution of the dual shock 3.

PS. PSU you forgot to mention one of the most immediately useful features of the new controller : It has a standard 3.5mm stereo headset jack, no more having to buy special headsets just for voice chat, plus now we can use ANY headphones with the ps4, which for me personally is just awesome!
Brian Buckley
- 1:11pm EST - February 25th, 2013
- 12
Not really any headphones, you still need a mic on there or its going to be one sided. The real advantage of the jack will be in multiplayer when using simul-view, or when it needs to be pretty quiet in the house or appartment
Alpha2
- 1:58pm EST - February 25th, 2013
- 13
@misterzadir Yeah you get options with some games when you hit start but more often games put more extensive things under the select button. that's why it makes more sense to me. I seriously doubt a game is going to say "press 'option' to start game", that's like saying "open trunk to start car". It's semantic really, the choice for what button does what will change depending on the developer of course but hopefully it won't end up sounding awkward when the games come out. Also I recall hearing something about the touchpad having a click feature so who knows maybe THAT will be the "start" button for some games.

As for the light bar, some Move games actually have the ball change collor when you get hit. it's pointless for the game itself but it's something the controller does none the less.

As for the headphone jack it's possible the Speaker might also serve as a Mic for people who wish to use it that way. Frankly I dont see the issue with bluetooth headsets, every one of us here probably has a cellphone, Sony's point on PS3 was that you can just use it on your PS3 rather than going out an buying a specific one that's why they took so long to come out with an official headset.
pepsivscoke
- 5:12pm EST - February 25th, 2013
- 14
If I remember correctly the controller has a 4 direction mic system built in as well as the speaker.
Beasley2K
- 12:49pm EST - March 3rd, 2013
- 15
Definitely growing fonder of the design, though my main problem is how ugly the grips look compared to before. A little polishing up improvement to the overall shape and aesthetics of the thing anf this may well be a perfect controller.

But please stop saying it's taken some ideas from the Xbox controller, as I'm almost certain it hasn't. The change to the analogue sticks and triggers are a natural evolution, as many people, myself included, will have had the occasional problem of slipping. So it was only natural for these changes to happen, I'm almost certain they didn't take inspiration from elsewhere - especially seeing as the design and apparent feel of them looks much superior to that of the compeition.

Yet as I said, they have a lot of polishing up to do, I certainly hope this isn't the final design, and the shape and aesthetics can be refined quite a bit.