Shake It like It’s Hot
Just like its predecessor, DualShock 4 has a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer, which allows for accurate motion detection. Funny thing is that it seems we still don’t really know how to use it. Especially now that it works better than ever before. And Journey managed to figure it out on the PS3.
Think about one of the most uncomfortable things about console controllers: aiming in first-person-shooters with the sticks. Even though you may be used to it, and even be good at it, it will probably never be as accurate as using a mouse or a more precise motion-sensing device. With the DualShock 4 this could easily change. Leaving actual technical specs aside, it’s not hard to imagine games in which aiming your guns could be done by simply moving your controller.
Additionally, the motion detection can be greatly leveraged with vehicle simulators. Imagine how much more comfortable it can be to fly aeroplanes and helicopters, or even drive a car by just moving your DualShock 4 around.
Some of these things have already been tried, not only with the DualShock 3 but also with the PlayStation 4. Grand Theft Auto V has some of these features available. The equation is pretty simple: If using a gyroscope for driving works pretty well with an iPad, why wouldn’t a gaming-specific piece of engineering be better?
That Thing Is a Touchpad Too
The touchpad is a really big addition to the DualShock 4. It works both as a pad and as a button, which widely expands the controller’s options. Nonetheless, it hasn’t been used as much as it should. Frankly, this is one of the most underused capabilities the DualShock 4 features.
As of now, uses remain really basic and don’t really live up to the promise. A few shy examples beyond using the touchpad’s button can be found in games such as Grand Theft Auto V, Killzone Shadow Fall and Infamous Second Son. However, these options are limited to switching weapons, throwing grenades, changing cameras, and giving companion orders and other minor functionalities.
Let’s go back to the difficulties of aiming we used above. In Grand Theft Auto V, several missions include headshots as a requisite for getting a 100% score. Even using the game’s auto-aim, this can become very annoying. If the touchpad could be used for this results could be much sharper.The distance between the stick and the touchpad in the DualShock 4 makes it completely possible.
The touchpad should also be available for navigating the very own PlayStation menu, as well as the browser and every text input screen (which weirdly can only be done in a few games). Even though it’s 2015, writing on consoles is still a pain.