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How will the PS4 and Xbox 720 controllers look like?

IMO the 360 controller is perfect and the DS3 needs to change the position of the analog stick.

No. Just no. If they'll ever do that, I'll either continue using the old PS3 controllers (if that's possible), or buy 3rd party controllers which feature properly positioned sticks.
 
I'm giving a 50% chance at least one apes the Wii U tablet at some point. Hard to say which one.

I think MS will probably start next gen with a slightly updated Kinect plus a slightly updated controller. Sony will likely start with some sort of Dual Shock variant, I don't know how much a future they'll give Move though.
 
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PS4 pad might have a Vita style D-pad. I suspect they may play around with the shoulder buttons/triggers as well.

Xbox may have changes involving headset input, battery options, and maybe something having to do with Kinect, like a quick access button for its functions.
 
If Sony goes with the same design again, it will be the ultimate facepalm of the forever. I will be sooo pissed. My PS3 is easily my most used console out of the three. But if it weren't for the Cross Battle Adapter 2.2 I would not be able to use it at all. Just the mere thought of putting the DS3 in my hands causes me to cringe.

The best controller design for PS4 would be just like the Move setup, but add a removable analog stick on the right-hand controller. Put a switch on there that allows you to toggle between pointer controls (for those of us who like them) and dual thumbstick controls for the old farts that hate pointer controls and only want thumbsticks. With both options available everyone should be happy. Add ports on the side where you can plug in an optional touch screen and you're all set.

For the 360, it already has pretty much perfect controller ergonomics. Just needs a proper d-pad, analog sticks that don't drift, pressure sensitive face buttons, better shoulder buttons. Grippy textured rubber or something on top of the triggers would be nice as well.
 
What if that battery eventually goes bad.. you can actually open up those things and put in new rechargeable batteries.
I looked it up on youtube and yeah you can replace the battery if it goes bad, they're cheap on Amazon too. Personally I've had my controller for 3 years and it's showing no signs of going bad.
 
warranty. or buy a replace one from ebay?

Still be cheaper to have detachable battery back that I can fix on my own. If they are built in then the controller is pretty much dead. Also I am sure the battery would fail soon as your warranty ran out.. :p. It usually takes a couple years but eventually all rechargeable batteries kick the bucket.
 
XB 720:

Fix the D-pad (SEGA Saturn)
Improve rumble (better battery life and haptic feedback) with Immersion Touchsense

Return the Black and White buttons with kidney bean shapes.
 
If they stay with the DS3 I'll probably skip the PS4 until it's super cheap. I can handle it for some games but I really have grown to dislike the controller, it's one of the main reasons I don't play many games on my PS3 besides the few exclusives that are must haves.

Fix the 360 d-pad and we're in business.

I think they should really look into how the sticks feel to be honest though, a little resistance is not a bad thing.
 
Still be cheaper to have detachable battery back that I can fix on my own. If they are built in then the controller is pretty much dead. Also I am sure the battery would fail soon as your warranty ran out.. :p. It usually takes a couple years but eventually all rechargeable batteries kick the bucket.
How much is the detachable battery? because these ps3 battery replacements are in the single digits, and you'll only need to buy it once in a consoles lifetime...if at all.
 
How much is the detachable battery? because these ps3 battery replacements are in the single digits, and you'll only need to buy it once in a consoles lifetime...if at all.
From MS not cheap.. but you can buy higher quality rechargable batterys for cheaper to put in them.

I have had 2 packs go bad.. both were bought on 360s release though.
 
Sony really needs to get rid of the dual shock.

Someone needs to find a way to use the analog stick without cutting off access to at least one of the face buttons. MH3 on the Wiimote did this by placing the camera above a button, which is what gives me hope for the Wii U controller.
 
How much is the detachable battery? because these ps3 battery replacements are in the single digits, and you'll only need to buy it once in a consoles lifetime...if at all.

AA batteries are used in numerous household devices. It's not a cost that is only attributed to a games console.
 
Your argument would carry more weight if the DS3 wasn't an ergonomic mess.

I guess my argument carries more weight then, because I've never had an ergonomics issues with the DS series. *shrugs* Different strokes for different folks.

Of course, I'm someone who finds the Xbox 360 controller to be a bit on the large side.


There's a play and charge kit for the 360, manufactured by Microsoft, that does this very thing.

Unfortunately, they're garbage. I've had three of Microsoft's batteries, and every one of them has lost a lot of their capacity after only a few months. I finally broke down and bought Eneloops (for that and other things), so hopefully those will serve me better.
 
My dream controller(s): Two ambidextrous single-handed controllers in the Wiimote/PSMove/Razer Hydra family. Each has...
  • Clickable analog stick - Hall effect mechanism, travel and spring tension intermediate between the 360 and PS3 sticks.
  • Analog trigger, similar to the 360's but wider and smoother.
  • Digital shoulder button, preferably microswitched like the 360 's bumpers, but with a bit less travel.
  • Either four face buttons or a d-pad. The system would come with one of each by default, but they'd be interchangeable.
  • A single start/select navigation button.
  • Internal gyroscope and accelerometer for motion controls.
  • IR detector strip for optical pointer control.
  • Internal battery, charged via standard micro-USB.
The controllers could be yoked together to serve as a steering wheel or traditional gamepad, or attached to a larger centering mechanism to act as a throttle or full-sized flight stick.

BELIEVE?

There should be long buttons / touch pads on the sides that you can press with the fingers wrapped around the controllers.

Two controllers for Halo.
One controller + Kinect for Fable / Halo Wars.
No controller for Dance Central.

Brilliant.

The split controller setup is perfect for Kinect and I would bet money that MS is going to do it.
 
There should be long buttons / touch pads on the sides that you can press with the fingers wrapped around the controllers.

Two controllers for Halo.
One controller + Kinect for Fable / Halo Wars.
No controller for Dance Central.

Brilliant.

The split controller setup is perfect for Kinect and I would bet money that MS is going to do it.

This. THis is what I have been saying since day one of Kinect. Just cut the fucking controller in half and it would make kinect gaming the greatest thing ever.
 
When the PS3 first came out, the 3rd party controllers looked like DualShocks. Now every 3rd party PS3 controller on the market has the 360-style asymmetrical analog stick configuration. If shooters are the biggest games, and the mainstream is used to playing those with asymmetrical analog sticks, Sony should consider swapping the left stick and d-pad.

Microsoft just needs to iterate on that silver Pro controller. Make the d-pad a little better and the face buttons more comfortable. Maybe tweak the LB and RB. That and make the next version of Kinect like 10 times more precise if they want to keep going down that path.


The split controller setup is perfect for Kinect and I would bet money that MS is going to do it.
It makes a lot of sense, I'll admit.
 
Other than a better D-pad, its hard to imagine how you could improve on the Xbox360's controller.

Agreed.

The X360 controller is probably the main reason why I buy all multiplats for the X360. MS really nailed the design down. It's feels perfect in my man-hands. I don't even mind the battery pack placement, since the AA batteries give the controller a nice weight to it.

Sony needs to update their DS design, drastically. Better ergonomic design, better analog stick placement, and better triggers...and making it a tad larger would be great, too. I mean, the DS3 is ok, but Sony could do a lot better than sticking with their old design.
 
Hopefully something like this:

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Actually, I hope the 360 controller stays the same. I really like it how it is. I've never been a huge fan of the Sony controllers, but I don't plan on getting a PS4 so no big deal.
 
The DualShock has become too iconic for Sony to change too much, I think. They might add something weird though, like a Vita-style touch panel.
 
I don't get the love for the DS controller. Is it just because people are used to it? Because that thing sure feels cramped and unfitting compared to the Wiimote+nunchuck and especially the 360 controller. It's mainly the handles that rest in the palm of your hand that suck so hard.
 
considering how adamant people are to change, even when it's for the better, I believe the controllers will be similar to the way they are now, unfortunately.
 
That's not surprising.

Many households already have rechargeable batteries without owning a gaming console or they spend some amount of money buying batteries. Having rechargeable batteries in the house saves people money in the long run.
Ouch.

You are right rechargeable batteries do save money, which is why I would like it built into the next Xbox controller.
 
I don't get the love for the DS controller. Is it just because people are used to it? Because that thing sure feels cramped and unfitting compared to the Wiimote+nunchuck and especially the 360 controller. It's mainly the handles that rest in the palm of your hand that suck so hard.

Symmetrical sticks > asymmetrical sticks
Flat buttons > convex buttons

The size and form is perfect for my hands, and the D-pad is far better than the one in 360 controller. The only minus side is the lower shoulder buttons.
 
I don't get the love for the DS controller. Is it just because people are used to it? Because that thing sure feels cramped and unfitting compared to the Wiimote+nunchuck and especially the 360 controller. It's mainly the handles that rest in the palm of your hand that suck so hard.

Many people would have grown up with that controller, or are too....dedicated (for want of a better word) to see it's inferiority.

We're talking about a controller based on the SNES controller for fucks sake.

The Dualshock is lterally still using design, ergonomics and button/stick placement from the 90's and yet somehow we have people talking about how good it is. I know people have opinions and all, but this is the one instance where I think you can almost say it's wrong.

Sony simply don't have the balls to change it at this point, but hopefully being relegated to third place will kick them into action, especially now that crazy Ken is gone.
 
As long as the ds4 triggers are improved on or moved back to buttons ill be happy. Driving games are just a pain in the ass to play with the current triggers.
 
Other than a better D-pad, its hard to imagine how you could improve on the Xbox360's controller.

flat face buttons
sticks that don't drift after 3 months
make it so the bumpers and triggers can be pressed at the same time (maybe underneath on the handles?)
 
Maybe if the DS3 were a touch larger the d-pad being lower would be less of an issue. Also, "real" triggers.

XBox needs better d-pad, and not one that breaks apart like the newer, transformable one.
 
I was just thinking about this. Well, about the joysticks, to be exact.
There needs to be a complete revolution in analogue stick design.

The playstation sticks suck. The xbox sticks are slightly better, but still they suck. They're old.

Someone needs to figure out a new way to design a joystick. I'm talking about the internal mechanism. Something with a TON of resistance. Something that would offer previously inconceivable precision. Maybe make the ranger of motion/movement TWICE what we have now. Or something like that. Joysticks are here to stay, so why not design a better one?

The best way to do this would actually be to make the analog sticks shorter, this would lower the amount of torque (as minimal as it already may be) your fingers apply to the analog sticks, which will allow for more precise movements and pitches. Naturally, the taller something is, the easier it is to topple it over - and the shorter something is, the harder it is for it topple over. A lower center of gravity would definitely create increased precision.
 
Ouch.

You are right rechargeable batteries do save money, which is why I would like it built into the next Xbox controller.

Built in like the PS3 means you can't use them in other stuff around the house which is where the money saving part comes into play. There is no reason to ever prefer a proprietary format for a product when there is a cheaper, widely used format available.

It's like someone preferring the 360's original closed, overpriced memory cards compared to the open usb storage option we have today. Doesn't make any sense.
 
The only thing that needs changing on the 360 controller is the dpad. Aside from that, it's the most perfect controller crafted by humans.

we already know Sony will add a never used gimmick to theirs, like the touch pad on the dual shock 3. Which needs a serious overhaul. Shitty "triggers", ergonomics from the 90's, and shitty unnatural analog stick placement. Also, barely any resistance ini the sticks. Blech.

Why is having the analog sticks at differing heights natural? Playing 3D games, I'm assuming both thumbs are on either stick most of the time.

Granted, I don't really have a preference, but the argument that offset analog sticks is more "natural" makes no sense.

Built in like the PS3 means you can't use them in other stuff around the house which is where the money saving part comes into play. There is no reason to ever prefer a proprietary format for a product when there is a cheaper, widely used format available.

Built in like the PS3 means I don't have to buy any at all. My 360 batteries seemingly last forever as it is.
 
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