Sony’s Back Button accessory takes aim at the pro controller market

There’s a weird port on the bottom of a PlayStation 4 DualShock controller, and for an entire generation we’ve wondered just what on earth it’d be used for. The PlayStation 4 was released more than six years ago, and that stupid bit of I/O still hasn’t found its raison d’être. Now, on the eve of the PlayStation 4’s sunset, Sony’s releasing an accessory to take advantage of it.

It’s a Back button. Look:

To be fair, it’s actually a useful bit of kit, and it helps the regular old PS4 controller get functionality similar to things like Scuf controllers and Microsoft’s Elite controller – just on the cheap. For $30, you get two back buttons that are remappable to any of the controller’s functions. That’s handy for competitive play where you might now want to take your fingers off of the analogue stick to hit the face buttons, or for quicker access to triggers – or whatever other playstyles or habits you might have.

There’s a compact, digital OLED screen on the rear, doubling as a button that’ll let you switch through different combinations on the fly. With an audio jack at the bottom of it, you don’t lose that functionality if you have the back button doohickey nestled at the bottom of a controller.

Says Sony:

“The DUALSHOCK®4 Back Button Attachment was designed to deliver more versatility and performance when gaming while maintaining the comfort and feel of the DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller you’ve come to love. Sleek design and two back buttons map-able to any digital button on the controller, while a high-fidelity OLED display provides clean cut information.”

It may look silly, and seem a bit silly, but I’m on board for this – other than the fact that it’s come along so late in the generation. It does make me think, however, that it (and hopefully PS4 controllers in general) be compatible with the PlayStation 5.

Last Updated: December 18, 2019