PS4 DualShock4 Controller - Development, Design & Review

Well... The PS4 and DS4 hardware have been finalized and are appearing in store kiosks now!  Time to look at hands-on impressions of the DS4.

All of the reviews and hands-on impressions so far have been stellar.  People are really, really liking the new controller.  They're realizing that it wasn't the symmetrical analog placement that bothered them about the old DS controllers... it was the weak analog firmness (now increased greatly) and the smaller overall controller.

You 360 guys who might have been turned off by mostly the controller... go find yourself an in-store demo and try it out.  Looks like you're likely to be surprised!


Development:

How developers helped design the DS4



Developing multi-part article (one pt each day this week) on the DS4 development.  Very interesting

Pt1: The Weird Stuff it Could Have Been

Pt2: The All New Analog Sticks & D-Pad

Pt3: The New Triggers and Buttons

Impressions:

Adam Sessler's Hands-On Impressions with the DS4



Another impression from the new retail Kiosk



Hands on retail images (not mine - ignore the big retail kiosk lock on the front)

I MUST have it in white!! Gotta be the nicest looking controller ever with the 2-tone and not the full color bath.

New article from VentureBeat all about the new analog sticks and how much they differ from past DualShock controllers.  Very neat.

Nice article.  Obviously, coming from Sony it's a bit of a puff piece, but everything they mention seems like a good improvement.  Looking forward to the 3rd and 4th articles.

To recap:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

I'm just super glad they addressed the close together weak-tension analogs. That was my only gripe with the DualShock3. And it's cool to see that they worked so closely with developers giving them prototype after prototype to experiment with and give feedback on... over 20+ version were tested by devs.

I wonder if M$ tested theirs externally with devs. I keep hearing more and more negatives about the One's controller. And THAT is a shame considering the 360 was pretty much the best out there.

*** Updated with Pt3: The New Triggers and Buttons***

This here I think is the biggest thing.  Upside down lettering.  lol

Now THAT is "next gen"! haha.

But i do reallllllly dig the trigger design... and have only heard great things about it.

gun fer hire wrote:

I'm just super glad they addressed the close together weak-tension analogs.  That was my only gripe with the DualShock3.  And it's cool to see that they worked so closely with developers giving them prototype after prototype to experiment with and give feedback on... over 20+ version were tested by devs.  

I wonder if M$ tested theirs externally with devs.  I keep hearing more and more negatives about the One's controller.  And THAT is a shame considering the 360 was pretty much the best out there.

MS spent $100 million on the new controller right?  $100 million and the controller still uses AA batteries?  

walldoggy wrote:

This here I think is the biggest thing.  Upside down lettering.  lol

Not really! If you rotate the new controller toward you the lettering should be upright! I say the old controller has upside down numbers!!! My 1/2 cents LOL

We will find out one way or the other in a month I just hope it is not to big ! I never had a issue with the ds3 !

mspiderw wrote:

walldoggy wrote:

This here I think is the biggest thing.  Upside down lettering.  lol

Not really! If you rotate the new controller toward you the lettering should be upright! I say the old controller has upside down numbers!!! My 1/2 cents LOL

That's what I mean!  The DS3 has upside down letters when you look at them while you hold it and tilt it up.  On the DS4, they will be right side up, at least to the person holding them.  Genius!  lol

And yes, my fingers won't slide off the R2/L2 buttons now that they curve up like real triggers.