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PS4 controller: touchpad + share button + dualshock

Honestly, I hope Sony designs a completely new controller. Dual Shock has a nice design and all, but it's long due. They need to try something new and improved.
 
  • Keyboard input. Sony has a technology were a touchpad can detect your finger hovering above it, and you'd have a keyboard on the screen which you'd use you located your finger and input the correct keys.

  • Extra buttons, you could easily fit 8 extra buttons on a decent sized touchpad, you wouldn't actually see them on the controller but you'd know where to touch the pad to activate them.

  • A 3th or 4th stick input. Just slide your finger around the pad and it acts like a stick or laptop mouse cursor. Would be great for map control, just imagine pinch to zoom, rotate, etc.

Thought you were Evilore, Then you said 3th.
 

Oppo

Member
Honestly, I hope Sony designs a completely new controller. Dual Shock has a nice design and all, but it's long due. They need to try something new and improved.

Controlled with your tongue. It's a very limber muscle, you know.

*stares uncomfortably*

I think this sentiment is akin to wanting a replacement for a steering wheel. Sometimes it just ain't broke, you know
 
"the same size as an existing DualShock but features a small touchpad in place of the existing Select, Start and PS buttons. The tech is based on Vita’s rear touchpad, and is similarly responsive in use."

I don't know, how useful would that be? Having the touchpad in the back of the controller would make it easier to use while keeping your hands in normal playing position, but maybe that's too much for casual gamers to handle...
 

Apath

Member
"the same size as an existing DualShock but features a small touchpad in place of the existing Select, Start and PS buttons. The tech is based on Vita’s rear touchpad, and is similarly responsive in use."

I don't know, how useful would that be? Having the touchpad in the back of the controller would make it easier to use while keeping your hands in normal playing position, but maybe that's too much for casual gamers to handle...
I really wish the Vita didn't include a rear touchpad. It's severely underutilized, has only been gimmicky in use thus far, and it makes the system uncomfortable to hold.
Controlled with your tongue. It's a very limber muscle, you know.

*stares uncomfortably*

I think this sentiment is akin to wanting a replacement for a steering wheel. Sometimes it just ain't broke, you know
The stuck placement isn't really an issue, but the form factor itself is 15 years behind the times. They don't need to dramatically change it -- just make it more rounded and smooth so it's more comfortable on the hands and eyes. Jett and Mist Koo had the right idea.
 

Mista Koo

Member
I'm not saying to leave the newly created space empty.

But the way many games do item switching (4 directions, single input) is based on the dpad, not the other way around.

Menu navigation is completely manageable with a stick and a single genre (2D fighting games) is not a good enough reason to keep old conventions around.
I honestly think a Nintendo 64 Frankenstein controller with dual analogs is the perfect form.

Playing a 3D game? Hold it this way. Playing a 2D game? Hold it that way.
 
I really wish the Vita didn't include a rear touchpad. It's severely underutilized, has only been gimmicky in use thus far, and it makes the system uncomfortable to hold.

Oh, okay, I've only seen Vita demo unit once, and didn't really get to use the rear touchpad then... But having a small touchpad in the middle of the controller doesn't seem good either, it's difficult to think of gameplay situations where it would be better than analog stick or larger touchscreen. Maybe it's just for web browsing and OS navigation?
 

Apath

Member
Oh, okay, I've only seen Vita demo unit once, and didn't really get to use the rear touchpad then... But having a small touchpad in the middle of the controller doesn't seem good either, it's difficult to think of gameplay situations where it would be better than analog stick or larger touchscreen. Maybe it's just for web browsing and OS navigation?
I'm not saying it can't be done. The concept just hasn't really proven itself as a valuable asset thus far.
 

waypoetic

Banned
I think EVERYONE has the form factor wrong.

I do not expect this controller to be shaped like a dual shock whatsoever. The ergonomics simply don't work for a touch screen.

I believe it will be designed similarly to the vita, but obviously with a larger area allocated to ergonomics and the size of the analog sticks.

I think this mock-up has it correct (without the screen, and perhaps only slightly smaller):

ERZouWz.jpg

Hi. Hello. You're wrong. It's first of all : a touchpad. Not a touchscreen. Secondly, it's a DualShock-style controller and at the same size of the existing one. That's what the reports say. But that controller you just showed was pretty cool tbh.
 

Ashes

Banned
Hi. Hello. You're wrong. It's first of all : a touchpad. Not a touchscreen. Secondly, it's a DualShock-style controller and at the same size of the existing one. That's what the reports say. But that controller you just showed was pretty cool tbh.


;p

You should had been in the last thread. Even a gaffer said it was a completely different design to the Dual Shock we're use to. That particular rumour was more in depth and talked a bit about the various iterations, and how It had a touchscreen.

I guess we'll find out in a few weeks.
 
I think EVERYONE has the form factor wrong.

I do not expect this controller to be shaped like a dual shock whatsoever. The ergonomics simply don't work for a touch screen.

I believe it will be designed similarly to the vita, but obviously with a larger area allocated to ergonomics and the size of the analog sticks.

I think this mock-up has it correct (without the screen, and perhaps only slightly smaller):

ERZouWz.jpg

TOUCHPAD
TOUCHPAD
TOUCHPAD
TOUCHPAD
TOUCHPAD

you're wrong.
 

Boss Man

Member
Have you guys thought that maybe the whole center portion of the controller is a touch pad? Instead of a square cut into the middle.
 

Orayn

Member
Have you guys thought that maybe the whole center portion of the controller is a touch pad? Instead of a square cut into the middle.

Entirely possible, though I still think they'd want to mark out the boundaries and make it clear what's touch-able and what isn't.
 
If they're going to stick with symmetrical sticks they need to at the very least space them further apart. I'm constantly knocking my thumbs into each other whenever I use the DS3.
 
Pic or it didn't happen. :)

Seriously, how are you thumbknockers holding the controller? I'm 6"4 with large hands and that is not a problem.

Anytime I push both sticks toward each other my thumbs collide. Try it.

Happens everytime I play a shooter. Unless you bend your thumbs at the joint and rest them on the sticks by the very tip of your thumb, they will collide any time you push the sticks toward each other. I like to rest my thumbs on the spot just above the joint. More comfortable.
 
Anytime I push both sticks toward each other my thumbs collide. Try it.

Happens everytime I play a shooter. Unless you bend your thumbs at the joint and rest them on the sticks by the very tip of your thumb, they will collide any time you push the sticks toward each other. I like to rest my thumbs on the spot just above the joint. More comfortable.

When in a shooter do you move both sticks toward each other?

Are your thumbs stiffly sitting on the sticks, or do you bend your thumb joints?
 
I think EVERYONE has the form factor wrong.

I do not expect this controller to be shaped like a dual shock whatsoever. The ergonomics simply don't work for a touch screen.

I believe it will be designed similarly to the vita, but obviously with a larger area allocated to ergonomics and the size of the analog sticks.

I think this mock-up has it correct (without the screen, and perhaps only slightly smaller):

ERZouWz.jpg

Anytime I push both sticks toward each other my thumbs collide. Try it.

Happens everytime I play a shooter. Unless you bend your thumbs at the joint and rest them on the sticks by the very tip of your thumb, they will collide any time you push the sticks toward each other. I like to rest my thumbs on the spot just above the joint. More comfortable.

You're this guy?

ps3shksn.gif
 

Ainaurdur

Member
Anytime I push both sticks toward each other my thumbs collide. Try it.

Happens everytime I play a shooter. Unless you bend your thumbs at the joint and rest them on the sticks by the very tip of your thumb, they will collide any time you push the sticks toward each other. I like to rest my thumbs on the spot just above the joint. More comfortable.

I just picked up one of my DS3s and naturally settled into a more thumb-tip position. So no thumb collision problems for me.

Think I have always held the Dualshocks that way.
 
When in a shooter do you move both sticks toward each other?

Are your thumbs stiffly sitting on the sticks, or do you bend your thumb joints?

1. A lot

2. That's the thing about controllers. Everyone grips them differently. Everyone has their own particular grip that they find the most comfortable. Some controllers do a much better job of a "universally" comfortable design than others.

The massive amount of complaints you see about the horrid ergonomics of the DS3 and praise for the ergonomics of the 360 pad are not made up fanboy bullshit. They are legit complaints based on real people's genuine opinions and preferences. This isn't directed at you in particular TimeEffect, but I see a great deal of knee-jerk defensiveness every now and then when people point out legit flaws with Sony's controller design. It's a bit silly.
 

Raoh

Member
Made a new more polished mockup:

frrrDBil.png

(Larger version)

The touch pad is clickable, click anywhere for start click bottom left for select (similar to the Macbook's touch pad).
In my previous one it was supposedly a tappable touch pad (tap to click, doesn't actually click).


While I prefer the Xbox's stick, I wanted to stick with the Playstation stick (stick pun unintended).

Not bad, simple.. something for sony to build on.
 

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
I'm guessing the touchpad will mostly be used for non-gaming elements. Web browsing would benefit from it the most.
 

RoboPlato

I'd be in the dick
I'm guessing the touchpad will mostly be used for non-gaming elements. Web browsing would benefit from it the most.

Yeah, I'd love something like that just for menus. If the click feature on it works for more than just Start/Select it could also be an extra button used for some things. It's not a huge addition but it's not detrimental in any way.
 

Arkham

The Amiga Brotherhood
Happens everytime I play a shooter. Unless you bend your thumbs at the joint and rest them on the sticks by the very tip of your thumb, they will collide any time you push the sticks toward each other.

Well, there you go. Yes, yes they will. Which is why you use your thumbs not your knuckles.

I like to rest my thumbs on the spot just above the joint. More comfortable.

Sure. Wrong, but more comfortable I guess. ;)
 

Alex

Member
I don't get the touchpad, what use is it going to be?

Share button sounds neat, other than that I hope they use something akin to the Vita's D-Pad and I want different analog sticks. I don't care if they're concave or convex, just something different in feel and tighter.
 

Orayn

Member
I don't get the touchpad, what use is it going to be?

Same things you can do with the clickable trackpad on a MacBook, also applied to games.

Sliding your finger along it in a straight line could be another analog axis or act slide a scroll wheel. You could pan/zoom/rotate maps with multi-touch. Touch zones on it could serve as additional buttons. You could use it as a secondary way of aiming in shooters since a trackpad is still more precise than an analog stick. Use your imagination!
 
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