• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

PS4 controller: touchpad + share button + dualshock

teiresias

Member
I just found this PS4 fan 3D model and besides the "swipe" thing on top, I really like it.
Would love to see a PS3 redesign like this

I do like that render, and I do like the "corner" slot for the Blu-Ray drive, but it makes little sense both in terms of laying out the system internals (ie. mounting a drive diagonally like that), and it prevents you from putting the side with the slot up against the side of a TV cabinet because you need clearance to the right to get the CD in the right place.

As for the controller, maybe they finally wised up and bought the molds from Logitech for their wireless controller variant of the Dualshock:

dm8qrXt.gif

I had the PS2 version and it was really comfortable. The face has enough extra room (compared to regular Dualshock) for the touchpad, and then they'd just have to modify the PS2 version for triggers (not sure if Logitech made a PS3 version with triggers or not).
 

Ashes

Banned
If it's a touch pad and not a screen how does it work? It couldn't be used for maps or interfaces or MGS codec calls, and it wouldn't work as a keyboard (unless you were a master of knowing where the keys on your tv screen lined up with the touch pad.)

I guess basic motions like swiping to cut something like in Okami, but that doesn't seem like much of a gaming revolution.

I'd say it would be at the back with a screen up front.
 

Mrbob

Member
Using the PS3 controller as a guide, if the PS4 does have a middle touch pad, I think we need to switch the left analog and dpad on these mock ups. In its current spot on the dual shock the left analog would get in the way of using the touch pad. The Dpad wouldn't offer this issue as it is low enough to be out of the way.
 

RibMan

Member
Yes, you are right, the price for a small color lcd shouldnt be much different anyway, so yes a black/white screen would hardly happen.

Yet the Kindle screens are pretty nifty. :)

I agree with what you're saying. According to iSuppli, the iPhone 5 screen costs $44. That is the estimated cost of a 4" retina screen (1136 x 640) that has multi-touch capabilities and reinforced glass. Here's a link to the full breakdown: http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns/News/pages/iPhone5-Carries-$199-BOM-Virtual-Teardown-Reveals.aspx

Sony does not need to offer a touchscreen of comparable size or features; they can get away with a slightly smaller screen sporting a slightly lower resolution. They can further keep costs down by not using gorilla glass.

I don't think a touchpad will offer the best interaction between users and the PS4. I hope I'm proven wrong.
 

onQ123

Member
If it's a touch pad and not a screen how does it work? It couldn't be used for maps or interfaces or MGS codec calls, and it wouldn't work as a keyboard (unless you were a master of knowing where the keys on your tv screen lined up with the touch pad.)

I guess basic motions like swiping to cut something like in Okami, but that doesn't seem like much of a gaming revolution.


do you have a laptop? it can work just like it does on a laptop.





& why couldn't it be used for Maps?

simple way to use it for maps is to have a Map icon as part of the HUD move the cursors over it double tap & bring up a transparent map or just have a small map to the side of the screen & just navigate through it with the touch pad.


that might even work better than the Wii U tablet because you wouldn't be taking your eyes off the screen & it will have multi-touch so you can pinch to zoom & navigate the map better.


double tap for map overlay

double tap again & it's gone just that simple.
 

RibMan

Member
Using the PS3 controller as a guide, if the PS4 does have a middle touch pad, I think we need to switch the left analog and dpad on these mock ups. In its current spot on the dual shock the left analog would get in the way of using the touch pad. The Dpad wouldn't offer this issue as it is low enough to be out of the way.

You are 100% correct that the current Dual Shock design would result in the analog sticks blocking the touchpad. Sony solved this problem with the PSP and the Vita; they opted to displace the analog sticks.
 
I'm terrified of this controller reveal, because it sounds like Sony has all the specs where they need to be, and everything is in place for them to be the console I want next gen, but now I'm afraid they're gonna fuck it all up with some funky controller for no reason.

I really hope my fears are unfounded, but Sony seems to have a propensity for shooting themselves in the foot.
 

Duffyside

Banned
do you have a laptop? it can work just like it does on a laptop.





& why couldn't it be used for Maps?

simple way to use it for maps is to have a Map icon as part of the HUD move the cursors over it double tap & bring up a transparent map or just have a small map to the side of the screen & just navigate through it with the touch pad.


that might even work better than the Wii U tablet because you wouldn't be taking your eyes off the screen & it will have multi-touch so you can pinch to zoom & navigate the map better.


double tap for map overlay

double tap again & it's gone just that simple.

Know what sounds even simpler? Pressing a button. The Select button.
 

onQ123

Member
Know what sounds even simpler? Pressing a button. The Select button.

why when you can double tap the same pad that you are going to be using to navigate that map? or the menu can come up as soon as you touch the pad & fade out when you remove your finger.
 
do you have a laptop? it can work just like it does on a laptop.





& why couldn't it be used for Maps?

simple way to use it for maps is to have a Map icon as part of the HUD move the cursors over it double tap & bring up a transparent map or just have a small map to the side of the screen & just navigate through it with the touch pad.


that might even work better than the Wii U tablet because you wouldn't be taking your eyes off the screen & it will have multi-touch so you can pinch to zoom & navigate the map better.


double tap for map overlay

double tap again & it's gone just that simple.

Good reply, I suppose as a cursor it could be useful, although I don't want to be in control of a cursor while in-game. Like Duffy said above me, tapping it to get to the map isn't much better than pressing a button, but I can see how once you're on the map screen, using it to hover over locations or zoom sounds useful.
 

RibMan

Member
do you have a laptop? it can work just like it does on a laptop.
.

While I understand your argument, I think the problem is that typing with a touchpad simply isn't as fast or accurate as typing with an actual keyboard.

You can test this yourself. If you're on Windows 7, click start > accessories > ease of access > on-screen keyboard. Type your entire previous post using only your mouse. If you time yourself, you'll quickly discover that you're much faster typing with a keyboard than typing with a mouse.
 
I'm terrified of this controller reveal, because it sounds like Sony has all the specs where they need to be, and everything is in place for them to be the console I want next gen, but now I'm afraid they're gonna fuck it all up with some funky controller.

I really hope my fears are unfounded, but Sony seems to have a propensity for shooting themselves in the foot.

It will have all the buttons you know and love but with a touch pad in the middle. I dont see them doing anything drastic that will rock the boat.

Even having a touch pad isnt really a big deal. I still cant see it being used to drag a cursor around the UI like a laptop. That seems dumb.


Actually my fear for the PS4 right now is that the OS is they just use the vita UI but blown up and you use the touch pad in place of a touch screen. That would suck. I like the vita UI but leaving on a portable. Its a mobile UI and just not as transferable as the XMB was.

Plenty of great features like live areas and the way it handles multi tasking but ditch the whole floating bubbles / orbs things plz.

I dont want my friends list and messages buried 5 clicks and a loading screen deep. I want that kind of info right on the main page.
 

onQ123

Member
While I understand your argument, I think the problem is that typing with a touchpad simply isn't as fast or accurate as typing with an actual keyboard.

You can test this yourself. If you're on Windows 7, click start > accessories > ease of access > on-screen keyboard. Type your entire previous post using only your mouse. If you time yourself, you'll quickly discover that you're much faster typing with a keyboard than typing with a mouse.

Who said anything about Typing?


& why would anyone think that a touch pad would be faster at typing than a real keyboard?
 
Who said anything about Typing?


& why would anyone think that a touch pad would be faster at typing than a real keyboard?

And it would never be faster than a real keyboard.

But I think if the positioning was 1:1 like a tablet it would be a lot more natural than dragging a cursor, putting your thumb on the pad would show its relative position on your OSK, then you could click down to enter a letter/start a Swype word.
 

RibMan

Member
Who said anything about Typing?


& why would anyone think that a touch pad would be faster at typing than a real keyboard?

Implementing a screen would solve the problem of not having a touchpad and or a keyboard. Anything that you can do on a touchpad can be done on a touchscreen; this includes typing, pointing, zooming, scrolling etc. I think the gameplay ideas that you have would work better on a touchscreen.
 

onQ123

Member
Implementing a screen would solve the problem of not having a touchpad and or a keyboard. Anything that you can do on a touchpad can be done on a touchscreen; this includes typing, pointing, zooming, scrolling etc. I think the gameplay ideas that you have would work better on a touchscreen.


it's a controller for a console that's hooked up to a big TV why would you be looking away from the TV to look at a little ass screen on your controller?
 

BobLoblaw

Banned
ps4-mockup-2.png


Took another stab trying to simplify things a bet and taking some other ideas from others (liked roboplato's select/start location!)
That looks pretty sweet, but I still wish Sony would hop on the Microsoft design bandwagon and replace the d-pad with the left analog stick. Even Nintendo's admitted that Microsoft got that one right.
 

zoukka

Member
it's a controller for a console that's hooked up to a big TV why would you be looking away from the TV to look at a little ass screen on your controller?

...

Maybe think about it for a moment still.

That looks pretty sweet, but I still wish Sony would hop on the Microsoft design bandwagon and replace the d-pad with the left analog stick. Even Nintendo's admitted that Microsoft got that one right.

Nintendo had it right from the start with gamecube as well.
 
Touch pads are horrible, I wouldn't mind a touch screen though, it would do wonder for the PSN stuff (typing text, checking trophies, choosing load outs in CoD clones, etc...). It would be a shameless rip off of the Wii U, but hey, we're talking about Sony :p

Good ideas need to be stolen.
 
I'm not too sure about the track pad on a controller, but everything else I've seen in this thread is a definite improvement. I love the DS3 and use it on a daily basis with my Galaxy S3, but it has some small quirks that I hope Sony works on.
 
I can definitely see the TouchPad working like the MousePad from the Apple Macbooks.

You can do gestures of the iphone on it and click on it. I think that is what Sony is aiming for.
 
If it's a rear-touchpad like the Vita, not interested at all. If it's on the front, still don't see the point. I hope this isn't one of Sony's 'innovations' that get shoehorned into their consoles like SIXAXIS and the rear touchpad.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
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.

In FPSes etc,the right stick is for aiming, not just camera movement. So it is clearly a primary stick there.

Is all this asymmetric talk coming from people that mostly lay on a 360 controller? Surely those that play a lot on a DS would be used to symmetric?

Is the Durango thread full of people asking for symmetric sticks?



Clearly the only solution is to have a controller where you can move the position of the sticks, and have removable caps so you can have concave or convex tips.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Some really talented people in this thread, but I'm sure the pad designer/engineer would be likely going
"no no no that wont work" lol


^^ I prefer symmetrical
The 360 pad feels odd, dam the Dreamcast pad was weird with one
Plus I can move my thumb more freely & efficiently, the 360 pad I seem to be sliding my hand up to push forward, or just holding it in a uneven way
And no I don't have small hands lol
 
K

kittens

Unconfirmed Member
I have done this.

They would need a solid click though, you wouldn't want it to scroll when you mean to click. Other than that I think the idea is great.
Huh, that could work. And it'd be awesome if pulled off right.

Damn, February 20th can't come soon enough.
 
I have done this.

They would need a solid click though, you wouldn't want it to scroll when you mean to click. Other than that I think the idea is great.

I like the scroll wheel idea, but clicking scroll wheels is always awful. I'd prefer if they used that split button concept for the L1/R1 only instead of having two buttons side by side in that position, there would be buttons on the outside, and horizontal scroll wheels towards the inside.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
I like the scroll wheel idea, but clicking scroll wheels is always awful. I'd prefer if they used that split button concept for the L1/R1 only instead of having two buttons side by side in that position, there would be buttons on the outside, and horizontal scroll wheels towards the inside.


Just have scroll wheels on each side, above the L1/R1 buttons. That would mirror how DSLRs use them, above the main shutter button. They are often clickable to, but definitely a secondary button

Taking that further, how about a two-stage shoulder button like the shutter on a camera? Short enough throw that you can easily do a full press, but with a resistive halfway point so you can eg aim/do iron sights etc without needing to take up another button?

I also really like the comfort of the wiU gamepad and how the shoulder buttons are sculpted there.

So, shoulder buttons form factor like wiiU gamepad, R1 is a bumper button, R2 is a sprung concave trigger with analogue output for racing games, and R4 is a little serrated, clickable scroll dial above R1 used for options (select a grenade type, tactics to your squad, maybe even weapons selection). If we still want clickable sticks that can be R3

(same on the left)
 

Durante

Member
I like that all these mockups use something that looks like a Vita d-pad.

About the "scroll-wheel shoulder buttons" idea: would it really be possible to build it in such a way that you don't use it as a button instead of scrolling by accident, but that scrolling is still easy enough without too much resistance?
 

DBT85

Member
I like the scroll wheel idea, but clicking scroll wheels is always awful. I'd prefer if they used that split button concept for the L1/R1 only instead of having two buttons side by side in that position, there would be buttons on the outside, and horizontal scroll wheels towards the inside.

Never had a problem clicking a scroll wheel myself, and that's on ones that are easier to scroll with as well. With ones needing a stronger nudge to rotate, clicking them shouldn't be a problem.

I don't like the idea of splitting L1/R1 in half personally.

I like that all these mockups use something that looks like a Vita d-pad.

About the "scroll-wheel shoulder buttons" idea: would it really be possible to build it in such a way that you don't use it as a button instead of scrolling by accident, but that scrolling is still easy enough without too much resistance?

I don't see why not. They can make different strength scroll wheels for all kinds of stuff so it would be a case of testing out a few different designs. My mouse even has a toggle switch to allow the wheel to freewheel or to toggle like a traditional mouse wheel.

The scrolling with the wheel could be used for things like weapon switching, tactic changing, etc, so you wouldn't want it to scroll too easily anyway.
 

Pooya

Member
About the "scroll-wheel shoulder buttons" idea: would it really be possible to build it in such a way that you don't use it as a button instead of scrolling by accident, but that scrolling is still easy enough without too much resistance?

you can make it have flat and round surfaces in alternate maybe.
 
I don't know about anyone else but I like the dual shock controller just the way it is. I'm open to minor enhancements though.. but I'd prefer if the sticks stay convex and symmetrical.
 
Top Bottom