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PS4 controller: touchpad + share button + dualshock

Why would a touchpad be bad if it's almost purely for UI purposes exactly? People talk about Microsoft but the reality is both sides are trying to create all round systems.

I know I'd much prefer to use the touchpad/cursor of some sort if I'm on the browser or cycling through apps (and there will be alot of apps) than the d-pad.
 

tapedeck

Do I win a prize for talking about my penis on the Internet???
I'm guessing its more like the PS button but with more functions. "Share" is just a label. Gotta look social.
Yeah that was my first thought when I read the description, probably handles all menu functions/features, and the share features are just highlighted in the article cause they're new.
 
Razer Sabertooth xbox 360 controller has 6 shoulder buttons and some weird triggers on the bottom of the controller.

sabretoothbuttons.jpg


don't know how comfy all those buttons are to use but looks interesting.

Love it. Two buttons too many, but Remove one pair, and it's good. The ones on the inner sides look functional. You can do EVERYTHING you practically want from a touchpad with a button like this, if it asks as a SHIFT key. Any combination of these as shift keys can do a lot, and is much cheaper.

People saying you can be more accurate with a touchpad scrolling? Hold Shift 1 + DPAD to scroll even faster, press Shift 2 to get to the bottom of the list. Shift buttons are more easily accessible in-game without feeling uncomfortable, and can act as a whole imaginative list of creative inputs for actual gameplay use. Reload with the Shift button, no more having to take your thumb off the movement button (always awkward in shooters), assign it as a quick heal button in Dark Souls without having to scroll through your inventory, I am telling you guys, these buttons are much better than touchpads that require you to remove your thumbs from the two most important features on the controller.

Six triggers sounds a little crazy, but I'm definitely in favor of 2 L1 level buttons.
VNHLzAz.jpg


The justification would be that the right thumb is more active on the buttons as opposed to the left on the D-Pad. I would vastly prefer both up.

Holy crap yes. Someone actually figured out that our fingers are flexible @_@ I'm going to try and get my hands on that.

I actually like these ideas, though they look small. Make them a little bigger, and it makes a lot more sense. You can even make the middle white portion a button, when you press it down it acts as an ordinary L1 button, pushing down both sides of the split shoulder button.
 

Riposte

Member
I want scrolling R1/L1s. Kind of like a mouse wheel with more resistance and probably a little louder. That would be handy for adjusting zoom or switching weapons, among many other possibilities.
 

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
move the left analog stick to where the d-pad is.
Oh god please no. This is the worst part of modern controller design. I will never understand why people don't want the dpad where it is.

The touch pad will likely go on the back of the controller. The looks crammed on the front.
The start button will be on the back of the controller? You sure about that?
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
I've always felt a lot of discomfort when having to click the stick/hold the click and press forward on the 360 pad (to sprint, for example).

The only time I've really minded the shape of the PS3 sticks is in the dead of summer when it's hot and your hand can sweat.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
I want scrolling R1/L1s. Kind of like a mouse wheel with more resistance and probably a little louder. That would be handy for adjusting zoom or switching weapons, among many other possibilities.

Ooh, like DSLRs often have? A little dial? That'd be interesting
 

Orayn

Member
I'm just gonna give a brief defense of asymmetrical sticks: If you consider the upper spot on a dual analog controller to be "default," "primary," and more comfortable than the lower one, then putting an analog stick there on the left side of the controller makes sense for the majority of modern, 3D games, since that's what you'll be using most of the time. Whether you put buttons or another stick on right right side is a tossup, since there are still a decent number of games that have you using the face buttons more often than the right stick. One could argue that the Wii U Pro Controller is a very good design because it puts the more commonly used input in the default position.

People who say they don't understand asymmetrical analogs are probably people who disagree with the bolded statement. Keep in mind that this also ties into the way the controllers' handles are designed - You grip an Xbox 360 controller and your thumbs naturally rest in the upper positions because you're tightening up your entire hand. DualShocks, which are supposedly lightly supported rather than gripped, don't have "default" positions in quite the same way.
 

UrbanRats

Member
I want scrolling R1/L1s. Kind of like a mouse wheel with more resistance and probably a little louder. That would be handy for adjusting zoom or switching weapons, among many other possibilities.

Yeah, this.. this could work great, as long as they made them resistant enough to not scroll them by mistake, while trying to click the button.
 

BeastM0de

Neo Member
Razer-Onza-Controller4.jpg


I think this is similar to what a previous poster meant by 6 triggers. I'm really hoping sony does something like this. A game like mirrors edge could have benefited from a few additional shoulder buttons
 

KAL2006

Banned
I want scrolling R1/L1s. Kind of like a mouse wheel with more resistance and probably a little louder. That would be handy for adjusting zoom or switching weapons, among many other possibilities.

Genious, contact Kaz about this great idea lol. The scrolling L1/R1 can be used for menu navigation, switching weapons/items, zooming, quick roll left and right.
 

Koren

Member
I want scrolling R1/L1s. Kind of like a mouse wheel with more resistance and probably a little louder. That would be handy for adjusting zoom or switching weapons, among many other possibilities.
I like it too.

Best original (as far as I've read) idea suggested since quite a long time. I feel stupid for not having thought of it, especially considering it's really nice on the X52 HOTAS.
 

JaseMath

Member
Here's another with Wii U style shoulder buttons and face buttons closer together. The original was exactly the way Vita has it, probably because at the smaller size they wanted them a bit further apart than appears visually correct.

2qrqlQG.jpg
I'd be more than okay with something like this.
 
Razer-Onza-Controller4.jpg


I think this is similar to what a previous poster meant by 6 triggers. I'm really hoping sony does something like this. A game like mirrors edge could have benefited from a few additional shoulder buttons

Yeah ! This is somewhat what I meant, but it needs to be more elegant. Maybe move the trigger a little bit lower so that the top part of the slope rests at the same level as the other two buttons. It would need to be focus tested, but yeah, this is what I meant.
 
I like it too.

Best original (as far as I've read) idea suggested since quite a long time. I feel stupid for not having thought of it, especially considering it's really nice on the X52 HOTAS.

A lot of people have asked for scroll wheel shoulder buttons in the past, capacitive strips on physical buttons, possibly with subtle tactical feedback is another option.
The never released Panasonic Jungle actually had 2 shoulder scroll wheels along with 4 shoulder buttons.
M89KfQS.png
 
Games would benefit from more buttons period. With more buttons we wouldn't have to use the D-pad or button combinations to do a single command a lot. 2 L1/R1 is genius.
 

Totobeni

An blind dancing ho
Here's another with Wii U style shoulder buttons and face buttons closer together. The original was exactly the way Vita has it, probably because at the smaller size they wanted them a bit further apart than appears visually correct.

2qrqlQG.jpg

Nice.

Can anyone please make this but on with the PS3 original controller (bomarange) shape ?
 

velociraptor

Junior Member
You can prefer a symmetrical design, convex sticks, having the sticks low on the controller, having all digital shoulder buttons, all those things are valid preferences. But will anyone argue that the overall shape is more ergonomically sound than just about any first party controller design since 1997, especially those from this generation? I seriously doubt that stripped of any concision or unconscious loyalty any one would find the shape of the DS3 more comfortable than the controllers from the other two console manufacturers.
Personally I've never had an issue with the DS3, but yes, the 360 controller has a nicer shape. It feels more ergonomic.
 

shink

Member
Here's another with Wii U style shoulder buttons and face buttons closer together. The original was exactly the way Vita has it, probably because at the smaller size they wanted them a bit further apart than appears visually correct.

2qrqlQG.jpg

Yes please. Probably my favourite mockup so far.
 
I'm a consumer, and I'd see it as a step back. Considering the prevalence of dual-stick control schemes, asymmetric placement makes no sense at all.

Why not? It helps to further distinguish the roles of each stick; one being for the camera and other being purely for the movement of the character (or something else, like a cursor). I've never been as comfortable with the DS series because the sticks are too close together. I might be able to take symmetry if they use the WiiU pro pad design, but I would feel at a general disadvantage in FPS/TPS if I had to use a DS3. In the end, it's less distracting for me to go back and forth between dpad and face buttons with an asymmetric design like MSes.
 

Liamario

Banned
If the touch pad is in the front; ergonomically speaking, it would make more sense to have the analogue sticks at the top of the controller, I think.
It also wouldn't make sense to have an asymmetrical stick layout in this scenario either.

If the pad is in the back ala Vita, I think it would allow for a bigger ouch-pad and perhaps allow for more buttons on the face of the controller.
 

Pooya

Member
I'm holding a ds3 right now and looking at that mockup, I can't imagine using the touchpad well with my thumbs, the sticks are in the way. Besides my thumbs fill the entire center area, not much movement to have there, I imagine the controller must be a bit bigger and stick placement changed somewhat.
 

beast786

Member
Well looks like I'm getting what I asked




"I want this remote to come with the PS4 or at least have the touch pad made into the PS4 controller."


remote-550x460.png

Man I hate the fact the Sony tv remote controls don't illuminate , sucks while you are watching or playing during night times
 
If the PS4 launches with a touch pad on the controller, it's going to go down in history as being about as important as the six axis that was built into the dual shock 2.
 

waypoetic

Banned
Razer-Onza-Controller4.jpg


I think this is similar to what a previous poster meant by 6 triggers. I'm really hoping sony does something like this. A game like mirrors edge could have benefited from a few additional shoulder buttons

I would hate that. What the hell am i supposed to do with that extra trigger (no, not "trigger" in the sense of Xbox 360 trigger) when i play FPS's?
 

Pooya

Member
I would hate that. What the hell am i supposed to do with that extra trigger (no, not "trigger" in the sense of Xbox 360 trigger) when i play FPS's?

It'd be good for lean left/right like some PC FPS games have.

there are better ways to implement that on controller though, I liked Dishonored.
 

BeastM0de

Neo Member
I don't get the complaint? What do you mean you don't know what to do with an extra button? You get access to 2 more buttons that you can use while keeping your thumbs on the sticks.
I personally think the triggers should be dropped down a bit so that its a bit more comfortable to use with my middle fingers. My index fingers can handle the 4 buttons.
 
I'm holding a ds3 right now and looking at that mockup, I can't imagine using the touchpad well with my thumbs, the sticks are in the way. Besides my thumbs fill the entire center area, not much movement to have there, I imagine the controller must be a bit bigger and stick placement changed somewhat.

All the more reason for scroll buttons!

It's genius, it's simple, it's been on PC's since forever. Only now do I remember the elegance and accessibility of the almighty wheel
 

waypoetic

Banned
It'd be good for lean left/right like some PC FPS games have.

there are better ways to implement that on controller though, I liked Dishonored.

Leaning? That only happens in certain FPS's, like Killzone or Syndicate, when you're behind cover. No no no. R1/L1 and L1/L2 is enough.
 

AkIRA_22

Member
I'm a consumer, and I'd see it as a step back. Considering the prevalence of dual-stick control schemes, asymmetric placement makes no sense at all.

Also, convex is better than concave. It allows a smoother rolling of the thumb.

The only thing they need to change is the shape of the triggers. And ideally use the Vita d-pad.

Fair enough. I used to think the ps conrol was the bees knees (I'd been using it for 15 years), that the Xbox pad was a little too cruvey. But after using one on my PC for a couple of years it's really grown in me. I mean the Xbox d-pad is a border line war crime worthy of the Hague, but nothings perfect.
 

quest

Not Banned from OT
Why would a touchpad be bad if it's almost purely for UI purposes exactly? People talk about Microsoft but the reality is both sides are trying to create all round systems.

I know I'd much prefer to use the touchpad/cursor of some sort if I'm on the browser or cycling through apps (and there will be alot of apps) than the d-pad.

It has to be large enough for the job IMO. It needs to be at least the size of a track pad on a 15 in laptop to be worth while. Anything smaller and not even worth including. I just worry games will use it and will have to reset grip every time I want to use it.
 

majik13

Member
I'm holding a ds3 right now and looking at that mockup, I can't imagine using the touchpad well with my thumbs, the sticks are in the way. Besides my thumbs fill the entire center area, not much movement to have there, I imagine the controller must be a bit bigger and stick placement changed somewhat.

thats the reason wiiu went with the sticks on the outside, so your thumbs dont have to travel over them going from buttons to touchscreen. I wouldnt be surprised if ps4 has to do the same thing, but who knows, maybe not depending on the layout.
 

zoukka

Member
Eh each of those buttons would be way too small to use. They'd have to make the controller way bigger than dualshock3.
 

Loofy

Member
Take a dualshock in your hands and look at the space there. It's not possible.
Picture isnt gonna be exact since I suck at photoshopping. It'll be bigger than the dualshock, but its not gonna be nearly as big as the WiiU gamepad.
 

cornerman

Member
the touchpad probably gives them the capability to unite more of their Playstation mobile titles as well. It'll have uses for webpage navigation....or could be a means of navigating their UI. If the entire pad is clickable, its activation could be triggered as the old PS button was.

I heard it suggested that having a separate share button would make it easier to for starting/stopping video.
 
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