Home Gaming The PlayStation 4 controller has a “triple role”

The PlayStation 4 controller has a “triple role”

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PS4 CONTROLLER 1

There’s a lot that we still don’t know about the upcoming Playstation 4 console. Such as final pricing, availability or what it even looks like. Which means that come Christmas time, one over-eager child is probably getting a TV game machine as an accidental gift instead. Heh. What we do know though, is that the console has a controller. And it’s a controller with plenty of features apparently.

Speaking to Edge, SCEI Worldwide Studios President Shuehei Yoshida described the controller as having gone through a massive upgrade, in terms of look, feel and technology. A process that it shared with the PS Vita.

“This is as a result of the new process we developed with SCEI. Basically, the PS Vita went through the same process before the actual PS4,” Shuhei said.

So because PS Vita was targeted to launch in 2011, and because portable is like designing a controller itself, we went through many, many iterations of PS Vita. So we just continued on the same process.

When we started designing the PS4 the people at SCEI already were very familiar with the vocal creative people in our different [firstparty] studios. So the process for designing PS4, the discussions with SCEI hardware engineers and the Worldwide Studios game designers and some of the tech people were pretty much similar to [those that happened in Vita development].

So there were suggestions for improvement for DualShock 3 and some completely new ideas came from different groups, such as adding touch, as all saw the advancement of gaming on smart devices. So that was more game design side idea. And the adding of the light bar, I think, came from Rich Marks’ group, who helped develop PS Move.

PS4 CONTROLLER 2

Part if this upgrade will also be seen in the LED components of the controller, which will be more closely tied to the games being played with it. “The light-bar doesn’t require the camera to function. It’s just a different way of identifying the player,” Shuhei explained.

In terms of using the LED [as in the Dualshock 3, with] numbers like 1, 2, 3 and 4, it looked a bit odd. The SCEI people wanted some smarter way of doing it, and the use of a full-colour LED came up. And of course, as Rich’s teams pointed out, other than the depth that required the use of PS Move, identifying the precise 2D location of the player can be [done] by camera, if we put the LED bar on the controller.

So it has a dual – or it could be a triple – role because game designers could use it for some effect. Like when [players are] losing HP, the colour could change from green to red. Like in the Killzone demo, if you were watching Steven playing, [that game] has that function already.

People were watching the main screen, but Steven was facing the audience, showing how the light bar colour changes as he was hit by the enemy; as he lost hit points the colour was changing from green to red. And when he used the health replenishment, it went back to green.

Personally, I’m just happy that Sony is finally coming out with something new that I can cradle in my sweaty hands. I’m not saying that the current Dual Shock controller is bad, but it is clearly behind in terms of ergonomics and style. The PS4 controller looks like a much better fit so far, and with small things such as LEDs adding a little something extra to the game, it could be benchmark controller for the next generation of gaming.

Last Updated: May 6, 2013

38 Comments

  1. umar bastra

    May 6, 2013 at 13:36

    I still don’t see a use for the tiny touch screen though, beside maybe scrolling

    Reply

    • Sageville

      May 6, 2013 at 13:47

      Hmm, I was thinking about that.

      Might be useful, I mean it’s a whole extra control set, that can be highly customized, might be usable as a macro type command in MMO games, do a certain swish on the touch screen and it performs a custom macro.

      Maybe you could write text on the touchscreen instead of selecting characters. I hate typing messages like that.

      Reply

      • Rince da Ref Lvl2

        May 6, 2013 at 14:23

        MMO, you mean SimCity? Too soon?! trololoolo!

        Reply

      • umar bastra

        May 6, 2013 at 14:31

        I guess so but still seems pretty useless especially when it’s so tiny. swishes for macro commands can be easily misinterpreted .. but hey ….

        Reply

        • oddvintagetaco

          May 15, 2013 at 16:03

          O Fire spell
          ?Water spell

          X earth spell

          ? Air spell

          Easy

          Reply

    • FoxOneZA - The Chosen One

      May 6, 2013 at 14:36

      It’s a touchpad. Not a touchscreen.

      Reply

      • umar bastra

        May 6, 2013 at 14:44

        Oh….okay. I know it doesn’t display anything. it’s the same as the Vita’s back touch pad

        Reply

    • AltruXeno

      May 7, 2013 at 23:14

      Also note that the screen itself is a large button. It actually compresses. So if nothing else you have an extra button that would be hard to miss.

      Reply

      • umar bastra

        May 8, 2013 at 08:49

        hmm, true indeed, I guess we do get an extra button, and well when you think of it as a button I guess there’s room for some new ideas and mechanics

        Reply

  2. Admiral Chief Achievement

    May 6, 2013 at 13:42

    How much Randelas for a controller then?

    Reply

    • Rince da Ref Lvl2

      May 6, 2013 at 13:43

      Depends, do you want the blue, orange, yellow, or pink version?

      Reply

      • AndriyP

        May 6, 2013 at 13:45

        Pink for him, you do not recall Katy Parry sims? im sure he mentioned somewhere that he enjoyed the colour of that expansion

        Reply

        • Rince da Ref Lvl2

          May 6, 2013 at 13:50

          NEVER!

          Reply

        • Admiral Chief Achievement

          May 6, 2013 at 13:52

          Now that you mention it, I need to flog that sucka. Still in plastic, sure to get money for a beer or maybe two in there

          Reply

          • AndriyP

            May 6, 2013 at 13:53

            Do it if you wana get flogged by the community 😛

          • Admiral Chief Achievement

            May 6, 2013 at 13:54

            Pfff the Sims / KP community no scare me

      • Admiral Chief Achievement

        May 6, 2013 at 13:45

        What’s it with you and the pink today?
        Should we know something?

        Reply

        • Rince da Ref Lvl2

          May 6, 2013 at 13:49

          Le…

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Achievement

            May 6, 2013 at 13:50

            O_O

            or

            -_-

          • Rince da Ref Lvl2

            May 6, 2013 at 13:51

            =_=

          • Admiral Chief Achievement

            May 6, 2013 at 13:51

            +_+

          • Rince da Ref Lvl2

            May 6, 2013 at 13:52

            “_”

          • AndriyP

            May 6, 2013 at 13:52

            ._.

          • Admiral Chief Achievement

            May 6, 2013 at 13:55

            *_*

          • Admiral Chief Achievement

            May 6, 2013 at 13:53

            _/

            (aka Geoff when angly)

          • AndriyP

            May 6, 2013 at 13:54

            lol

          • Rince da Ref Lvl2

            May 6, 2013 at 13:56

            ?-?

          • Admiral Chief Achievement

            May 6, 2013 at 13:57

            Nice

            !_!

          • FoxOneZA - The Chosen One

            May 6, 2013 at 14:31

            emo

          • Rince da Ref Lvl2

            May 6, 2013 at 13:56

            Angly Geofff vlly ANGLY!

          • Admiral Chief Achievement

            May 6, 2013 at 13:58

            O RRY?

          • Sageville

            May 6, 2013 at 16:58

            WARNING No 1

          • Rince da Ref Lvl2

            May 6, 2013 at 19:01

            I don’t take warnings, I issue them^_^

  3. Rince da Ref Lvl2

    May 6, 2013 at 13:43

    Eh? Let me get this straight, you have an LED on the front end of the controller, which will allow your cat to see when you lose life? Because I can tell you one thing, I don’t play games with a controller where I can see the front end (back) while also looking at a screen. Or does with come with a mirror?

    Reply

    • Gideon Venter

      May 6, 2013 at 15:17

      It’s a light. It glows. You’ll notice. And it’s just one of the features.

      Reply

  4. Anon A Mouse

    May 6, 2013 at 14:09

    My current controllers have too many frequent flyer miles attached to them for me to consider getting this controller. Unless I want to replace the screen every month.

    Reply

    • FoxOneZA - The Chosen One

      May 6, 2013 at 14:30

      It’s not a screen. Just a touchpad.

      Reply

  5. FoxOneZA - The Chosen One

    May 6, 2013 at 14:30

    a) This settles the debate that the DS3 controller is sh!te hence the redesign.

    b)“The light-bar doesn’t require the CAMERA to function. It’s just a different way of identifying the player,” << ie. There's a camera watching you. It's watching you!

    c) Who looks at the front of their controller when they're gaming for cheap aftermarket Fast Furious lighting while they're dieing in a game?

    d) There's no touchscreen. Just a touchpad, Yes I'm touchy on this subject.

    Reply

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