The Sony news and discussion thread

[Ghost World]

Ah that certainly makes more sense, you can't release any new tech product these days without some sort of touch function bolted onto it.

I'm also a fan of asymmetrical sticks but I don't expect Sony to move away from their core pad design they've had for the last 15+ years however outdated it feels to me personally now.

[ratsoalbion]

Pure and simply after tens or hundreds of thousands of hours with both models, going back to 1998/2002 my experience is that assymmetrical sticks feel more natural and comfortable. It's not a deal-breaker but although I was initially sceptical when I first saw the Xbox pad experience has justified the decision.

[JaySevenZero]

Pure and simply after tens or hundreds of thousands of hours with both models, going back to 1998/2002

Now, now, let's not exaggerate!

[ratsoalbion]

I'm not sure I am...

[JaySevenZero]

I'm not sure I am...

I am, there's 8,765 hours in a year, so whilst tens of thousands over 15 years is possible (60 hours a week works out as 46,800 hours over 15 years) but hundreds is physically impossible to attain unless you did little else (sleep, work etc.).

[JaySevenZero]

Having a closer look at those pictures of the new pad ( also assuming that this is the final design and not just a placeholder), I don't think there is any real difference in overall size between the current DS3 and this new version. There does appear to be a slight wider gap between the sticks but the main difference seems to be at the front end, as highlighted in the image, where it is "filled" in with the touchpad. I wondering if the Start/Select buttons are gonna be mapped into the touchpad now though as they are not visible in any of the photos?

[ratsoalbion]

Yeah I didn't do the maths. It feels like it though!

[Rich]

The only issue I've ever had with the Duelshock 3 was the R2/L2 triggers being curved inwards (though this was fixed with a pair of Gioteck Real Triggers).

I'm with you. I even just got to the point I was comfortable with the DS3's triggers. It'd be the only gamepad I'd use if there was a simple way to use it with the 360.

I'm really excited to see what the PS4 has to offer. I'm still more interested in the Wii U for now but the PS4 will be next on my list if the Steam Box doesn't come out cheap.

[delb2k]

Now there is a lot of news coming out about the system it is trying to figure out the wheat from the chaff. The pad looks resonably genuine and at last they have inverted the sticks and hopefully fixed the triggers. I still prefer the 360 pad, to the point i got a MLG pro pad for my PS3 so I had a 360 layout available, but the new one does not look as uncomfortable.

The rumours about streaming is nice albeit not something i think I would ever invest in that much (plus it is a prime candidate to be gated behind plus subs) and everything else seems pretty straightforward in terms of what we would expect.

My main hope for the 20th is something new in terms of IP, or a returning oldie. If it is just more killzone et all my excitement will not be anywhere near as high.

[NokkonWud]

And I still have no clue why asymmetrical sticks are preferable.

I bang my thumbs together on PS controllers, find it uncomfortable to always be bending my left thumb back and it results in me getting hand cramps and having to put it down.

[ratsoalbion]

You've got freakishly long thumbs!

[JaySevenZero]

I bang my thumbs together on PS controllers, find it uncomfortable to always be bending my left thumb back and it results in me getting hand cramps and having to put it down.

Then you either have unnaturally large hands or you're holding the pad wrong!

The wrong way to hold a Duelshock.



The correct way to hold a Duelshock.

[ratsoalbion]

Here's Karl about to play some Gran Turismo 5:

[countstex]

Interesting the Move™ light is built into the pad, I assume that means Move will come with the PS4, in the same way Kinect is essential to the NextBox. I guess in a way integrated into the pad like that it becomes almost 6-axis+
PS4 to launch with Heavenly Sword 2, with improved Twang-twang???

On the size front I would prefer bigger pads in general, the reason I've never gotton on with hand-held gaming is they are all too small and cramp my hands (not tried a Vita yet) and I find the same with pads a lot of the time, I'd be happy with the exact same pad just in various sizes, I've never understood why they think one size fits all it a good idea.

[Guy_JD]

OK, here's a completely out there idea. If I am not mistaken a PS3 runs some form of Linux? I believe that is right, and this new SteamBox is also Linux based.. and both companies have talked about Biometric controllers being central to their systems... given the closeness of the two companies in the past few years, is there a possibility at some point of Sony releasing either there own SteamBox or potentially the PS4, at some point at least, allowing dual booting??
Probably way off target, but I love to think big

Y'know it's funny, we had a similar conversation way back on Gamerdork around the time Portal 2 was released with Steamworks support on the PS3 and I said that if Sony integrated a Steam app onto the XMB that it would make it a force to be reckoned with. I realise that it's far from that simple and wouldn't have actually worked with the PS3 to the level we'd want but with the advent of the new generation and new tech the idea of having a two-in-one system would be more than possible and also kind of awesome.

Personally as a mainly PC gamer these days I can't see this as being a good thing, if it does happen Sony being Sony will inevitably want some pricing control over new releases at least, I mean why would you go out and pay £50 for a game on PS4 when you can boot your PS4 into steam mode and get the same game for £10/£20 less?
Like I said as a PC gamer I like getting stuff cheaper and don't want that to end any time soon

[NokkonWud]

The correct way to hold a Dualshock.

Yes, that is how I would hold it if the left-stick was in the right place
I play with the pads of my thumbs, so when using both sticks my thumbs bang into each other all the time, pain in the ass.

[countstex]

Personally as a mainly PC gamer these days I can't see this as being a good thing, if it does happen Sony being Sony will inevitably want some pricing control over new releases at least, I mean why would you go out and pay £50 for a game on PS4 when you can boot your PS4 into steam mode and get the same game for £10/£20 less?
Like I said as a PC gamer I like getting stuff cheaper and don't want that to end any time soon

To be fair, Steam are only cheap for games when they are on sale, the rest of the time they tend to be full RRP, plus PSN will bring you trophies and easier party comms (assuming they don;t forget about that this time) Steam is great, but it doesn;t do much in terms of community in my opinion at least not when compared to the consoles.

[Rich]

I bang my thumbs together on PS controllers, find it uncomfortable to always be bending my left thumb back and it results in me getting hand cramps and having to put it down.

Then you either have unnaturally large hands or you're holding the pad wrong!

The wrong way to hold a Duelshock.



The correct way to hold a Duelshock.

They both look wrong to me! Do people other than me only use 2 fingers on the shoulder buttons?

[James]

They both look wrong to me! Do people other than me only use 2 fingers on the shoulder buttons?

I know a few people who do. I've never given it a fair try to be honest, but it seems to me that 2 fingers on the shoulder buttons should be cramp-inducing.

[AndyKurosaki]

I've never had an issue with the Dualshock myself. The 360's pad is of course brilliant, but try to play Street Fighter etc on one and it's a nightmare. Whereas the Dualshock doesn't have that problem.

A touchscreen in-pad is an interesting idea, but it depends on what developers do with it. I can't say many of them utilized the Vita's rear touch-pad that much.