Secret Feature of the DualShock 4 Controller?

PS3Center writes: "We have been salivating over the next gen PlayStation controller for weeks now, and came to a potentially significant discovery."

[xc7x]

interesting

[BullyMangler]

hhM

[IronFist]

It looks like a stupid design, how can a touchpad that small be useful in any way.

[DEATHSTROKE-cro-]

surfing the web browser on PS4 ?
like I do now on my laptop

[gaffyh]

Not really a gameplay feature though. Would be cool, but I would prefer something more substantial.

[_QQ_]

so just as a gimmick then.

[Skynetone]

angry birds, and good for flicking through the phone in gta, most of the menus on the ps4 might use it, they could of course just use it as an extra button in some games

[flyingmunky]

It is really up to developers to utilize it and make it appealing for us. I just hope that it doesn't get the same stigma as the 6 axis did. Barely any dev made use of the 6 axis function in the ps3 controller, probably due to how we responded to early games like Lair.

[PSVita]

You could use it to write or drawn like scribblenauts.

[HiGwA]

C'mon dude, use your brain...
1) controlling your cell phone in games like Watch Dogs or GTAV
2) Uses in RTS menu Navigation.
3) Quicker weapon switching in FPS games ( quick directional swipes get you to your eight carried weapons).

I can think of all sorts of functionality for this... You sound like the iPhone trolls of 2007 saying that the touch screen keyboard was a "Stupid Design"

[_QQ_]

1)it's not a screen so i don't see how it would help control your cellphone in watchdogs, plus its too small for that.
2)consoles don't have any RTS games, good ones at least, plus if they did, playing on the controller's tiny touchpad would be worse than gaming on a laptop,
3) pressing one button is faster than swiping a touch pad.
PS4 will be awesome but lets face it, the touchpad is a useless gimmick.

[HiGwA]

1. The type of control I'm talking about is "Gesture Based" if the screen of the phone is on the TV screen, you could easly swipe through your phone options while still driving (unlike GTA VI which used the dpad for such navigation forcing you to take your finger off the Left analog stick).
2. RTSs suck on consoles because of the user interface (the controller), but I see your point on the size, I would have to use it first to draw a conclusion.
3. Think about the rotary menues of games like FarCry 3, rather than having a pop-up menu with a button press and using the analog stick to choose your option, imagine no button press and a swipe in the direction of the desired weapon... You never get pulled out of the game to go into a menu...

I can't conclude on the usefulness and functionality of the touch screen until I use it, and yes, the PS4 will be awesome.

[Persistantthug]

unlimited extra virtual buttons.....

How about that?

[_QQ_]

agreed, it will just end up being used as extra buttons.you are a brave man though, criticising sony on N4G.

[GribbleGrunger]

I've said this from the first showing of the new controller and until now I was the ONLY person saying it. Damn it, I knew I should have written an article about this.

[MikeMyers]

Yup, I remember. Props to you. I still think it could be something like the Apple Trackpad.

http://www.apple.com/ca/mag...

[GribbleGrunger]

I don't know if it will have a flip up screen ... it's just that curl over the back of the controller that throws me. Why? aesthetics? Maybe. It would make for one hell of a reveal at E3 though.

Oh, and thanks for verifying that I did actually say this before lol. I reread what I wrote and realised how pretentious it sounded. I wish you could edit as many times as you like on this site.

And a bubble, sir. Partly because of your verification but largely because I have misinterpreted your motives in the past ... for which I'm sorry.

[MikeMyers]

No problem and I do hope you're right at E3. I'm looking forward to finding out more about the PS4.

[PinkFunk]

Just a couple o guys, chewin some gum, reminiscin of days gone by.

[Bathyj]

You called it Gribble, and I remember it clearly.
So much so in fact that when I read the title I thought, oh, just like Gribble said.

Whether this happens or not, I dont know.
Regardless, bubble + for intelligence.

[maniacmayhem]

I admit you did say it. Good eye.

[Red_Devilz]

Holy mother of Video Gaming!

[Legendary-Status]

Lol that touchpad or whatever it is in the middle has me clueless hmm like they rveal the controller but we have no clue what it's biggest feature is! Lol all cool ill sit tight till E3.

[KingKevo]

Sounds really interesting and could very well be true.

[pankajsc96]

touch Pad could open doors for RTS games on consoles which I really miss.
I wish for C&C, WoW, Company of Heroes 2, Commando

[MultiConsoleGamer]

No.

[Florence21]

Should just keep it with the touchpad in the middle not flipping... doing to much now

[Robotronfiend]

I had a controller like that 20 years ago... on my Sega Dreamcast.

[Drainage]

its detachable because thats where the 2 AA batteries go in from

[ziggurcat]

can't help but think of this:

[josh14399]

The reason it looks like that is because it's also a button (you can click it like a mouse button). source: http://kotaku.com/5985921/a...

[stuntman_mike]

will that be for stashing your spliffs in there?

[_FantasmA_]

I want this thing more and more everyday. They had me at PS3 but man PS4 is on whole other level of epicness. I feel like gaming will take control of me again like in the late 90s and early 00s. Can't wait. PS4Life!

[TemplarDante]

And here you have it folks,
Alien technology :)
You wanted cross game chat? I bet it has a touch screen under that with an option that states "touch here to instantaenously zap to friends location"

PS4 Believe!

[Soldierone]

Why didn't they put it on the back like the Vita? It wasn't hard to get used to the Vita at all, and all they would need to do is widen the grips to avoid accidental contact.

On the back you have an extra finger to use. If you don't want to use that, then taking your finger off a shoulder button is a lot better and more comfortable. Try it with the current controller. Imagine a touch pad on the front then imagine it on the back.

[TuxedoMoon]

Maybe you can stick a VMU screen thing there...or a SUPER rumble pack or a texting Keyboard! Holy crap! The possibilities!

[RE_L_MAYER]

Its not a touch pad its a camera so you can facechat while playing a game

[latinillusion81]

I think it's a secret stash spot where you can hide your weed

[fatstarr]

lol the good old ps2 days

[fatstarr]

its neither, giving Sony too much credit. its just regular 1 piece. they wouldn't be so innovative to do this and also that would be shown off as a feature to get different controller clips to immerse your self in different ways in the games.

[Killabites]

Sod the touch pad what is that speaker for?

[soundslike]

Antivirus blocked an attack from this website. Run your spyware kids, sites like this have no fucking shame apparently.

[gaffyh]

No virus, false positive from Kaspersky and NOD32 heuristic scanner, most likely just picking up the ad server as a virus.

http://sitecheck.sucuri.net...
http://www.google.com/safeb...

[HmongAmerican]

If this is true I don't want to think about the price on that controller. More feature on controller mean more $$ to spent.

[hadouken007]

I think the touch pad should be detachable, and be able to snap on a small optional lcd info screen, or just use it as a straight controller without either. Anyways opinion here.

[Shacojin]

Probably some NFC component will be implemented to the control since Sony seems intent on applying it to everything Sony branded