Nick K writes:
"The touchpad in the center of the DualShock 4 presents a completely new way for PlayStation gamers to interact with their games. How will developers use this new input? It’s definitely not a new concept, but here are some of the ways we think devs might use it for PlayStation 4."
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I have a hunch this feature will go the way of SixAxis, no offense Sony.
Can also be used to navigate through menus. Lets just wait & see.
I disagree actually. The Touch pad is said to be "clickable" meaning that it gives you a better feedback than a touch screen would.
The modern controller is limited as it's hard to add new buttons to the current setup. And adding a touch screen would most likely require that one takes their eyes of the TV to look down, effectively slowing you down in fast-paced games.
The clickable touch pad seem to be the best compromise between extra buttons and a touchscreen. Meaning that you can keep your eyes on the screen and still quickly reach for the touch pad and click, similar to how you use a laptop really.
@below
Yea you're totally right, people were indeed excited about SixAxis. But I'm keeping an open mind since the devs themselves had a lot of imputs in the design of the controller.
When playing FPS game and you're sniping in full zoom, I'm thinking you might just use the TouchPad if it's more accurate, and just click it down to shoot. I don't know, just thinking at loud here.
If that's all it will be used for, it just comes across as a gimmick. But hey that's just, like, my opinion, man.
@ Cupid
I didn't know about the "clickable" screen. That is indeed cool. If devs use it well, then they'll use it well and everyone will be happy. I guess, to me, in our world of 5" smartphone screens and the WiiU tablet, a small touch pad (yes, I know it isn't the same because it isn't a "screeen") seems like it would have limited functionality.
Let's not all just jump the gun here. People were enthusiastic about SixAxis, too...
It should work just like a touchpad on a laptop/notebook so browsing the internet will be a much better experience.
And I'm guess that such games would be compatible with the PlayStation Move controllers as well.
If you have touch controls on Vita and on PS4 developers will have an easier time making games work for both devices without changing their vision for control schemes.
Also do you have to pay to get into E3?
"for one that touchpad is little too small for most peoples hands especially mines. another thing is i don't have a clue how the developers will utilize that feature"
You're thinking the touch pad is small because you probably haven't taken a closer look at the DS4. The current DS3 has huge gap between the L1 and R1 shoulder buttons which the DS4 doesn't have as the new design bridged that space to instantly give the the Touch Pad 1/2 of new space.
Also if you pick up your current DS3 controller and run thumbs around the contour of the DPad or the face buttons, you'll be surprise by how much space you find. The touch pad has bigger surface area then the space carrying the face buttons or the dpad buttons. And besides, I don't the touch pad is meant to be used by both thumbs at once. So there's enough space in my opinion.
Regardless it isn't like a gigantic screen on the controller which is why it doesn't bother me.
Motorola RAZR i
I have to use my ps3 to browse the internet.
I heard it's clickable right?
I can definitely see myself using it more than the d-pad for turn-based RPGs like Final Fantasy where you sift through millions of menus. I'd only use the anaolgue sticks to move around
a lot of people don't play video games because of being discouraged by the difficult controls. cut the middleman and you open yourself up to a broader market.
you could technically play flower. with only the touchpad. I see games being played with exclusive use of the touchpad.
Rather than menu screening or d pad pressing in Skyrim, one can swipe the pad and highlight desired whatever. Thats one use which could be very helpful.
Possibilities are abounding
I really like that pad.
finishing moves maybe.
and of course one feature that nobody has thought yet that an indie dev will use, selling well past 2Million copies for that feature alone, hahaha, one can only dream.
For some reason I didn't even consider this at all! I guess I was stuck in the idea of the D-pad or joysticks, but that little touch space seems perfect, hope it controls and reacts well to your touch.
As much as Sony DID announce, we really have a lot more to see considering they haven't really gone into any sort of full-scale demonstration of even ONE feature in full detail I don't believe.
Gonna be verrrry interesting in the coming months.
I think a possible alternative would have been to put the touchpad on the back of the controller, but that may require too much dexterity, so who knows? Just like rumble and motion control; however, I don't think it detracts from the controller in any form or fashion, be it functionally or aesthetically. However it is employed, I hope it is employed well and taken seriously by developers, and not shoved to the side like the sixaxis controls were.
And considering it is likely more of a tactile interface as opposed to one used for both viewing and interaction, the size shouldn't really be an issue.
It's larger than the joysticks and we use those just fine for navigating menus and such. It will all come down to how well it has been designed really, I think.
you can use it in sword fighting games, use it as a automatic way to switch into secondary fire in shooters, but you can also use it to cast spells, as in draw a symbol in order to cast the spell.
Can't recall, but does it actually emit light, or is it entirely devoted to being a mechanism for controlling what's on-screen?
Be cool if a game asks to "scan" your thumb print and you put your thumb on the little screen to open a door, or safe or something :)
What else... swipe functions, quickly raise a "visor" with, lets say, additional HUD overlays that you can swipe up and down to retract and lower at will. Like one attached to a helmet in a shooter.
Theoretically, it could also be the equivalent to adding another dozen buttons to the controller, they are simply in the form of a screen (if the screen actually lights up that is).
If we assume the touchpad's functionality is identical to the back touchpad on the Vita, there is multitouch but no press sensitivity. Though, Sony has confirmed that the DualShock 4 touchpad doubles as a clickable button.
IMO, whatever the action being performed in game is, it better not be something that could have simply been mapped to a button. For example: If devs start mapping the jump button to the touchpad, how much would that suck to have to reach over the face button with your thumb, or take your hand off the controller to use your index finger just to do something that could have been done by pressing X.