By now, we've all seen a lot of the concepts out there for the Playstation 4 and the controllers that we may or may not be getting with it. Some of the concepts for these newfangled controllers look great and others look...interesting to say the least. The best of the bunch tend to keep with the Dual Shock configuration that has proven so successful that other companies have imitated the design for their consoles, while some of the more far out designs almost eschew the design altogether for something more gimmicky. To get the discussion going, let's take a look at some of the designs of the PS3 controllers on the market nowadays and what it may mean for the future controllers of the PS4.
It's All About the Ergo
Arguably the biggest consideration when designing a game controller is the ergonomics of the thing. In other words: How does it fit in your hand? Those of us that have sat down and played our PS3s for hours on end have a good appreciation for an ergonomically sound controller. Even with the best, most comfortable controller you can find for your hand, after hours of play many gamers will find that their hand has a particular ache that nothing will shake. Sometimes it lasts for days. I've even known some gamers that had to have hand surgery back in the days of the first Nintendo console and those not-so-ergonomic rectangular controllers.
And not to mention the callouses.
The Dual Shock controller effectively addressed many of these issues, wrapped in a very sleek design that allowed for more intuitive gameplay in games that required more and more input from the gamer using the controller. Of course, there was room for improvement, something that many third party manufacturers (and Sony) took advantage of. We've seen the removal of the rumble feature (for other reasons, but it did make for a lighter controller), longer grips, more strategically placed buttons, tilt detection, and various other features.
For future controllers for the PS4, look for more of the same as far as the shape goes. Motion games aside, it seems like Sony really hit upon something with the controllers of today. They fit the hand(s) great, have the buttons in the right places, and overall have been wildly successful.
Other Bells and Whistles
Beyond ergonomics, there are plenty of other factors to consider. When it comes to current controllers, we've seen all kinds of little added features, including raised sticks for increased shooter accuracy, controllers with rumble technology, controllers with fans for sweaty hands, smaller controllers for those with smaller hands, among others.
But what does all this mean for future controllers?
First, you have to figure that third party manufacturers are going to continue to do what they've always done, taking into account what the core PS4 controller will look like. I'd say that they longer grips look like they are here to stay. They provide for nice thumb rests and take pressure off the wrists a bit as well. Beyond that, it's hard to say. Third party manufacturers, of course, will use as much in-house technology as they can, so don't expect a whole lot of innovation in the first generation of Playstation 4 controllers.
As far as the other features, look for them to remain in third party territory. I've never had a problem with overly sweaty hands and I've never heard anyone else really complain about it either. PS3 controllers are already pretty small (comfortably so), so smaller controllers will probably remain in that realm as well - though my wife will definitely be picking one up, naturally.
Some things to look forward to that could actually work? How about LCD touch screens?
Just Say No to Gimmicks
I, for one, am hoping that Sony stays away from the gimmicks. We all remember the "boomerang" design of the initial PS3 controllers that never saw the light of day due to poor reception and some of us would like to see their return. Sony claimed that they were just a concept never meant to be distributed, and many hope they stay that way.
Some of the concepts put out there feature such controllers for the PS4, but I'm a little leery of such designs. If they can make the boomerangs work when it comes down to brass tacks, then by all means I say go for it. Without that, however, we're just looking at another gimmick. We've seen enough of those.
What type of controller would you like to see for the PS4?
