(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The touchpad clicks

We’ve all taken L3 and R3 for granted on our DualShock 3 controllers nowadays, which we use instinctively for everything from rifle zooms to roadie runs, but with PS4 there’s a new click in town: the touchpad. Not only is it a two-point touch interface; put some pressure on that little strip of grey and you’ve just pressed a whole new button. What developers choose to do with that extra input is anyone’s guess at this stage, but we’d love to see a game harness it to simulate… breaking into an orange?

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The DualShock charges when the console is snoozing

So you’ve just spent the whole of launch day playing Killzone: Shadowfall (what are sick days for, afterall?). Or you’ve just had an unexpected – but welcome – video chat with an old friend and, ack, you had the Dualshock in your hand, draining its charge, the whole time. Now you’re off out to work – or to buy in supplies for another marathon – but when you return you want more Killzone immediately, dammit. Well, simply pop the PS4 into sleep mode, plug the DualShock in via USB and head on out. Consider sleep mode “charge mode” and you get the idea. Charging up two controllers and have the new PlayStation camera plugged in constantly? No problem: the camera has a dedicated, proprietary port so there’s no need to ever unplug it.

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The buttons are faster, stronger… better

We love the DualShock 3. But there’s a time for everything, even change. With DualShock 4 the pressure-sensitive analogue buttons have been exchanged for digital versions. Less lag between your button-press and the signal reception by the PS4 means you’ll feel more connected than ever to your on-screen actions as it means each press has a more immediate, satisfying click rather than the sluggish, sinking feeling you may sometimes get with DualShock 3. Frame-counting beat ‘em up obsessives are no doubt rubbing their plastered hands together with glee.


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There’s a headset in the box

Don’t underestimate this seemingly small statement of intent. It’s a rare event that SCE bundles in a headset – the first time being with SOCOM on PS2 – and it doesn’t happen haphazardly. Chat is a major aspect of the PS4 manifesto, and cross-game chat – meaning you can be playing Knack and chatting to your Killzone-playing pal – is reason enough to get excited. The mono-headset – yet to be road-tested – should be top-tier with Sony’s expertise and investment in audio tech and services. The choice of a wired bud earpiece has us giddy, too, meaning we can sneak it in under our over-ear surround sound headphones, too. If you’re on the fence, however, You must login or register to view this content. suggests their current PS3 line of headsets will be compatible, too.

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The light-bar isn’t just pretty, it’s functional

Get used to colour-coding rather than those tiny red LEDs for indicating who’s who in a multiplayer match. As with PS Move, the light-bar oozes neon corresponding to each player – blue for P1, red for P2, green for P3 and pink for P4. It’s wider uses haven’t been fully revealed yet, but with its PS Move Orb colourisation and the fact that DualShock 4 is reviving Sixaxis, we can’t help envision the new pad as bridging the gap between those two controllers and unleashing the combined power of both. A title like Ubisoft’s made-in-Move-heaven classic Child Of Eden, for example, would be a vastly different beast with such extra controller grunt and features.

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The analogue sticks are things of indented beauty

Take a closer look at those DualShock 4 analogue sticks above and while at first you’ll see the familiar dimensions and spacing of its predecessor, the actual surface – and the dead zones – have been evolved to a point of perfection. The circular indentations on each stick mean a stronger thumb grip as you navigate Drive Club’s bends or pinpoint Helghast scum in Killzone.

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PS4 weighs the same as… poultry

The little black box weighs in at 2.8kg/98.7oz. Compare that to the original 60GB PS3 model’s near-double 4.9kg/172.8oz. Better yet, have some fun comparing PS4 to common everyday objects and groceries. It’s equivalent to an average rotisserie chicken (give or take a couple of kg if you’re adding barbecue sauce) or a cantaloupe melon. Whereas the original, 60GB PS3? That’s the same weight as an average watermelon.

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DualShock 4 weighs the same as… confectionary

While we’ve got the scales out, let’s measure up that all important bit of kit you’ll actually be holding as you’re playing. It’s a teeny bit heavier than DualShock 3 – blame the touchpad and light-bar – coming in at 210g/7.4oz compared to its predecessor’s 192g/6.8oz (the Sixaxis, quite shockingly, was a meagre 137g/4.8oz) but if anything it simply adds to the sense of quality and power in your palms. To put it in some everyday context, the new DualShock weighs about the same as two average bananas, two pop tarts or two chocolate chip cookies. Or one and 3/4 oatmeal cookies: what better excuse to bite into one than research, eh?

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Secondary chips are your new best friends

PS4 doesn’t just host a cutting edge AMD processing power, there are custom “secondary” chips that help out with all those things besides rendering your jaw-dropping conquered worlds. The secondary chips are like the waiters acting behalf on the core processing power’s head chef: they scuttle about taking care of your background downloads, social network updates, features and general transference of information while you’re in the thick of it. Or not, as the case may be, these custom chips beaver away while the system is in sleep mode, too, meaning you can be saving power and catching your favourite TV shows without losing any download progress.

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wow some things I knew but the others im quite impressed with PS4 FTW

I wouldn't be surprised if DICE used the touchpad in BF4 for the commander to control missiles, targeting etc. Sony just keeps slaying the Xbox One in every single field. :y:

Thanks for posting, really enjoyed reading that!!

Another interesting post by xlex--

great read LEW! thanks for posting another great article.

What kind of watermelons do you get?

xLew--




juicy ones xD

enjoyed reading that PS4 FTW

Although I knew many of them, Its been nice to see it posted.