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Sony is lagging behind compared to Microsoft when it comes to their controllers.

It's not perfect, but the integrated 3.5mm jack is an amazing feature, it's perfect for watching Netflix at night without having to trail wires all over the place. It's such a good feature that it now annoys me whenever I have to use a device or box that doesn't have a similar feature (looking at you, Sky).
 
Yea Sony feels a whole generation behind. Between the elite and custom Xbox one controllers, I'm really digging all the options
 
i bought a new white DS4 and it is leagues better than my old ones (never had many problems with them either. mostly just the thumbsticks)

i got a wii u pro for emulation purposes on my mac and PC and that's pretty great.
 
Yea Sony feels a whole generation behind. Between the elite and custom Xbox one controllers, I'm really digging all the options

I don't even feel that the elite should even be in the discussion. It's pretty much outside of the rational price range for a controller, unless you are simply knocking them for not having their own elite controller.
 
I have to take all the praise for DS4 with a pinch of salt though.

Back in the PS3 days people would swear DS3 was better and so on. I'm sorry but in the cold light of day 7 years on I'm sure even the most ardent of DS3 fans would admit it's crap now going back. 360 still is as good as any XBO controller barring the Elite, it's a great design standing the test of time and only Elite is a worthy upgrade.

I still use a 360 on PC since 2009, it's in perfect shape as well.
 
Dual shock has seen steady improvements over time.!




Microsoft and Xbox and got their thing going on with their remotes...
 
I feel like Sony's lagging behind in general when it comes to peripherals and random junk that would generate extra revenue. I mean, why can't I walk into a Best Buy and buy different faceplates for my PS4? I'd love a black faceplate to replace the Batman one on my Gunmetal PS4 so it matches the controller better but I can't do that.

But yea, they really do need to come out with a pro edition or something with dramatically improved battery life, Xbox-like thumb-pad placement and a more ergonomical design. The biggest difference to me is I don't feel like I can lean back with the DS4. It's like I have to hold it at the angle I would if I were leaning forward on my couch no matter what. I have no discomfort when holding my Elite controller while laying back in a recliner or in bed.
 
For the life of me I just cannot understand why Sony won't let us quickly swap out batteries from the DS4 controller. You want rechargables? Wonderful. But that is no reason why we shouldn't be able to replace our own batteries.

As for the analog stick placement, to each their own. For decades I mostly played on controllers that had the action buttons on the same level as the main d-pad or movement stick. That goes back to the NES and SNES controllers to the Gamecube and Wii controllers (sideways.) I usually play with my left thumb on the left stick and my right thumb mostly on the buttons so the Xbox controllers are more symmetrical for me.
 
The only issue I have with the DS4 is the stick mechanism. Playing COD a lot, clicking the stick and holding it to sprint after months of use seems to fuck up the stick electronics and ends up completely messing up the dead zone. So if I push forward in a certain angle, it simply stops sprinting. Its infuriating and I've tried so many remedies to fix it. Nothing seems to work.
 
Xbone adding 3.5 in jack: catching up to PS4
Xbone adding bluetooth : catching up to PS4

I have no peeling sticks on my DS4,but had my month-old Xbone shoulder button completely break at random (plastic cracked).

Add in the controllers were making my first xbone reboot (they replaced my month-old console, so not really the controller's fault).

Sorry, xbone wins this one for me.
 
I don't even feel that the elite should even be in the discussion. It's pretty much outside of the rational price range for a controller, unless you are simply knocking them for not having their own elite controller.


Because it's an option. And I'm glad Microsoft has given us it
 
Agreed. Sony have been copy-pasting 90s ergonomics a decade past. When they finally got around to making an ergonomically sound controller, they gave it the worst battery runtime/functionality ratio I've ever had to deal with in modern times.

The insistence on embedding batteries is another thing that is shit. Instead they give us a dinky USB cable, as if to say "hey suckers, go buy another controller and our charging station".

All I want is a comfortable controller that lasts 30+ hours on a single charge, and ideally doesn't require me to run cables across my living room when it does need to charge. Is that so hard?
 
Their PS4 controller is a massive improvement over the DS3. I don't think they need to add too much more as it is a fine controller as is.

Edit: Battery life is pretty much the only concern I have right now.
 
Sony has always had third rate controllers compared to the competition. Pre Dual Shock was trash compared to the Saturn. Dual shock wasn't as good as the redesign for the Xbox controller, PS3 definitely sub par over 360, etc
 
The one thing that bugs me most about Sony is their stubbornness with regards to improving the controller mid gen. I love that MS is essentially releasing a more streamlined controller every year at this point.
 
I don't even feel that the elite should even be in the discussion. It's pretty much outside of the rational price range for a controller, unless you are simply knocking them for not having their own elite controller.

Pretty much. Then again the option is there for those who want it, unlike Sony's side.

But the criticism that MS added textured back and bluetooth to theirs and so Sony is stagnating is ridiculous, as both those things were standard day one on the DS4, so if anything MS is playing catchup in that arena. More legitimate criticism would be that battery is still a bit underpowered, we still don't have solid DS4 windows drivers, and there is still a shockingly low level of color options. Fix those three areas and it would go a long long way.
 
Are you on a launch X1 pad? They fixed the bumpers and improved the dpad roughly a year or so after launch. The elite pad is absolutely awesome.

I didn't buy mine around launch but it's possible I got an old model. Are the bumpers and D-pad still clicky on the current model? That's what I don't like about it. I prefer the buttons to me a little mushier like the DualShock
 
Besides build quality (which shouldn't even be an issue by now) i think the DS4 is the most comfortable feeling controller. The spacious layout fits my hands better. I don't think either has huge advantages over each other like last generation though. They're both good controllers. Calling DS4 crap is hyperbolic.
 
To me the two biggest DS4 mistakes is the sticks and shite battery life. I think that makes the Xbox One controller better. I just feel like the sticks are so much better on the Xbox One controller and i feel like i have more control/play better with them.

But personally it's the batteries that annoys me the most. I'm under 4 hours before my DS4 needs to be recharged. All my life i have been used to never really think about remember to charge my controller, now i can't even get through a gaming session before i need a recharge.

I take good care of my hardware and it's so lame that i have to buy another DS4 because of the batteries. Also it's so god damn annoying when it runs out when you have friends over. Nothing is more lame than needing to play with a wired controller.
 
While the ds4 is not perfect, I simply do not enjoy the Xbox controllers shoulder buttons. I started dark souls on Xbox one but went back to the PS3 version because of this very reason.
 
As a 'controller' I prefer the new DS4 over the XBO controller. I despise the bumpers on the XBO controller. I also think the face buttons feel 'sticky'.

But as far as build quality is concerned, you cannot touch Microsoft's pad. I'm still loving my 360 wireless pad for all PC games. In some ways, I think the new XBO pad is a step back from the 360. The buttons feel better on the 360 pad. I prefer the vibration, d-pad and lack of battery pack on the new pad though.
 
I have to take all the praise for DS4 with a pinch of salt though.

Back in the PS3 days people would swear DS3 was better and so on. I'm sorry but in the cold light of day 7 years on I'm sure even the most ardent of DS3 fans would admit it's crap now going back. 360 still is as good as any XBO controller barring the Elite, it's a great design standing the test of time and only Elite is a worthy upgrade.

I still use a 360 on PC since 2009, it's in perfect shape as well.
Nope the DS3 is a good controller, It's not better than than the 360 controller but they are pretty close. The DS4 is better in every single way compared to the DS3 but it's also better than the Xbox one Controller and the 360 controller.

I hope Sony releases an elite version of the DS4 controller since the elite is a pretty good controller but they really hit it out of the park with the DS4.
 
I don't even feel that the elite should even be in the discussion. It's pretty much outside of the rational price range for a controller, unless you are simply knocking them for not having their own elite controller.

Of course it should be in the discussion. It's an option. Sony offers no options.
 
Besides the quality issues (I had to replace my sticks) the design itself is good.

I own an Xbone controller too which I use on PC and I would have a hard time choosing.

One thing I would like is Sony to copy the custom controller thing MS unveiled this E3.
 
The DS4 is such an improvement over the previous iterations; I no longer think about how my hands are hurting when I'm playing a Playstation game, which hasn't been true in years on their stock controllers.

For that reason alone I give Sony credit. I still prefer the feel of the stock Xbox One controller and there simply is no comparison with the Elite.
 
I have to take all the praise for DS4 with a pinch of salt though.

Back in the PS3 days people would swear DS3 was better and so on. I'm sorry but in the cold light of day 7 years on I'm sure even the most ardent of DS3 fans would admit it's crap now going back. 360 still is as good as any XBO controller barring the Elite, it's a great design standing the test of time and only Elite is a worthy upgrade.

I still use a 360 on PC since 2009, it's in perfect shape as well.

DS4 is great. I grew tired of the DS line with PS3... and had an XBOX 360 and loved its controller.

The DS4? It's pretty much like the 360's controller. I love it.

Im sure The X One controller is also great.
 
While I hands down prefer the PS4 for my gaming needs on PC due to playing alot of Platformers/Indies/Fighters/Ect that require a good Dpad. Its really embarrassing how flimsy and cheaply made the controller feels at times, and yet their competition Microsoft are constantly improving their controllers. Making small tweaks and improvements like the integrated Bluetooth in their new XboxOne S controllers, but also with their Elite controllers offering a more premium option for those willing to pay, and now Xbox Design Lab allowing you to build the unique look of your controller.

Hoping for a improved controller when they release the NEO but im not getting my hopes up.

The pro controller is great and all but really the "tweaks" to the XB1 controller should not be praised at all. They were bad design decisions corrected, for example the headset port and bluetooth are things that the DS4 did from the beginning because they weren't trying to push proprietary crap like the Xbox controller dongle or Xbox One Stereo Headset Adaptor. That's what those revisions are, correcting f-ups. The DS4 pad also has had its f-ups corrected namely the wearing thumb sticks and the squeaky triggers. Those have been revised. They should release a pro though and customs but I suppose you can go to scuff for that.
 
I much prefer the PS4 controller . I've had three Xbone controller that were total junk. Creaky with sticks the wobble and click. I just got a Halo controller that is much better but I shouldn't have to go through 4 before getting a decent one.
 
I love the 3.5 jack on my DS4. I use it to have all the game sounds pumped into my headphones so I don't bother my girlfriend when she's asleep.

I don't have any issues with the DS4. I want some of the new colors their releasing. I already have the white one and a red one.
 
I expected MS to try and press home their advantage in controllers over this E3, but the 'Design Lab' was a much cleverer way of doing that than I expected.

There is a huge gap between them in this area, imo. I've had two PS4s with three controllers and they've all been built like shit.
 
I dropped one of these and doubled the battery life, I don't even worry about it at this point. Easy mod, you just have to reverse the black and red cables, they're backwards on PS4.

I might do this. Is this the exact place you bought it from? Looks like a lot of places are selling duds.
 
I've been praying Sony would compete with the elite controller and they just won't do it. I love the DS4 but it feels cheap. The DS3 was an ergo nightmare, but the battery lasted on that thing and the plastic was tough. I dropped my DS4 and the plastic on the left handle popped in. Ice had this happen on 3 of them now along with the thumb stick wearing out and becoming loose overtime. It's time for a higher quality controller!
 
It's not perfect, but the integrated 3.5mm jack is an amazing feature, it's perfect for watching Netflix at night without having to trail wires all over the place. It's such a good feature that it now annoys me whenever I have to use a device or box that doesn't have a similar feature (looking at you, Sky).

Both controllers do this. Honestly, they're both fine to me. I can alternate between them seamlessly.
 
All I want is a pro version of some kind, and even that isn't a must-have-right-now since I use my Elite on my PS4 for the games that benefit from it.

Battery isn't an issue to me since I have a charging cradle for when not playing, but it still lasts 6+ hours usually
Never had a physical issue with one (buttons, sticks, etc)

The Wii is probably one of the best controllers I've ever used, but its massive battery life comes from not having anything special (gyros, rumble) that drain the battery faster. Sticks aren't offset, buttons click nicely, d-pad is great, shape is superb, weight is light.
 
The battery life on the DS4, as repeated ad nauseum, sucks. I tend to game for long play sessions and have just relegated my controller to always being plugged into USB. It defeats the purpose of wireless, but now I never have to worry about a low battery indicator.

My second complaint about the PS4 is the L3/R3 are way too sensitive/have low travel to click in. Too many times have I "claw-gripped" and melee'd when not meaning to in games.
 
It would be nice if Sony updated their DS4, basically like MS is doing. The Xbox One S is a very attractive console, and I think MS is putting themselves in a position to finish this gen out strong.
 

I'm always amazed to see these pop up and wonder just how common it truly is. I almost feel lucky that my Elite bundled one is perfectly fine (please don't jinx!) since November, but then I remember there's a certain common % of defect that is standard within most industries and wonder what the numbers are. You'll more commonly see complaints than heralds.
 
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