5 ms·

I read this for a bit, and then did a double take on "The new system uses a DualShock 4 controller with a touchpad, share button, lightbar and headphone jack."

by misnome 14y ago

I read this for a bit, and then did a double take on "The new system uses a DualShock 4 controller with a touchpad, share button, lightbar and headphone jack." I know the one thing that I have been missing on all consoles to date is a share button! It doesn't go far enough though, it really should have separate share buttons for each of the online services I use!

Cushman 14y ago
You joke, but "Record that awesome thing that just happened" is a button video games have been needing for a long, long time.
- drewblaisdell 14y ago
  The future does not look like more buttons for increasingly specific functions.
  - lowboy 14y ago
    Agreed. User-assignable buttons or touchpad gestures however...
    - owenfi 14y ago
      Yes, or just shouting "Save that!"
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - DigitalJack 14y ago
    Sure it does. So many things happen in cycles. Contiuums are really the trace of a penduluum. We may still be swinging toward "programmable" buttons, but trust me, things will start swinging back at some point, though perhaps not for the reasons we might think.
  - jamesaguilar 14y ago
    The evidence suggests it does. How much of this belief do you base on your ideals and how much is based on reality? There used to be just game buttons (joystick + one button on Atari, for ex). There there were start and select. Then there was a console-specific power button (the "XBox" button and the "PS3" button on the Xbox controller and DS3 respectively). Now there's a share button. I dunno dude, it looks like the arrow of history is actually pointing the opposite direction from what you said in this comment.
    - sliverstorm 14y ago
      Power buttons are somewhat special just from a hardware point of view; I don't think they are especially useful for this question. You can't navigate a menu to reach a power-on function. A competing power button service will never come out to replace the currently popular power button service. Every single Xbox or PS3 owner will use the power button(s) with regularity.
      - sukuriant 14y ago
        He's referring to the center button on PS3 and XBOX controllers that goes to the xbox dashboard or PS3 dashboard, or the home button on the Wiimote, etc... at least, that's what I assumed. That button does count.
        sliverstorm 14y ago
        But that button also powers up the Xbox from a cold boot. The dashboard part is just adding some extra functionality to a button you already have.
        sukuriant 14y ago
        Are you sure it's not the other way around? Or, perhaps an intended dual functionality? Pressing the power button on the physical machine, as far as I remember, does not load the dashboard.
    - 14y ago
- jedmeyers 14y ago
  The great thing about the 360 isn’t beating the games, it’s showing everyone online that I did.
- w-ll 14y ago
  Yea, I actually loved this feature with OnLive when I was accepted into the beta. And they had the full VCR controls on it. I really liked this controller as it had the bulk of an xbox controller but with aligned sticks. http://cdn.arstechnica.net/OnLiveController.jpg http://cdn.arstechnica.net/OnLiveController.jpg
- shurcooL 14y ago
  OnLive has that button (combination).
bitwize 14y ago
Still missing a "like" button though.
yesimahuman 14y ago
Honestly, the headphone jack is the coolest thing on there. If it's not a custom MSFT headset style thing, that rocks! I would much rather play with headphones on than my crappy speakers.
- julian37 14y ago
  You can have that with any console or TV by getting a pair of wireless headphones. I can recommend Sennheiser, they aren't cheap but worth every penny if you ask me. Excellent sound quality, build quality and UX. (I've got a pair of RS 170s, they've been serving me well for two years now.) http://www.sennheiserusa.com/wireless-stereo-headphones-home http://www.sennheiserusa.com/wireless-stereo-headphones-home
  - joverholt 14y ago
    My father-in-law has a pair for watching TV. They are pretty awesome. Great sound quality and you can wander around the house and still hear the TV without cranking it.
  - huhtenberg 14y ago
    I tried Sennheisers and couldn't get them to work satisfactory. Lots of interference, crackle and noises. Tried troubleshooting to no avail and in the end had to return them. In other words, keep in mind that there are setups where even the best wireless headphones don't work.
mikeryan 14y ago
Did you read the rest of the article on what "sharing" means? The new PlayStation 4 is also highly focused on offering social experiences. You’ll be able to stream your play sessions to allow input, including your friends taking over control to help you out with a rough patch, for instance. You can also quickly share video clips to friends and the PS network. Gaikai’s technology is also behind the spectating feature of the PS4 which allows you to share your gaming session with a button push and allows friends to jump in and take over control to help you. Some games will allow people to give you items that will help you in game play like ‘health potions’. Having friends take over sounds pretty cool to me. That being said I liked Andy Levy's Tweet. I hope I'll be able to turn off all of these social features on the #PS4. If I wanted to be social I wouldn't be playing videogames.
ekianjo 14y ago
The headphone jack on the pad ! Finally someone noticed the excellent idea of the 3DO back from the early 90s. Why did it take so long to copy this feature??
- kevingadd 14y ago
  The 360 controller has the same jack on it.
  - ekianjo 14y ago
    I did not check the PS4 specs for the jack, but the Xbox controller jack is a 2.5mm one, while the standard headphone jack is 3.5mm.
    - kevingadd 14y ago
      The one they showed in the PS4 presentation looked exactly like the XBox one. I suppose it could be the same shape but be 3.5mm instead of 2.5mm.
OzzyB 14y ago
The only thing I kept thinking was that it's gonna cost me $99 bucks instead of $50 each time I throw my controller at wall with my bad temper. Yes, I'm a sore loser, maybe the share button will make me think twice.

by misnome 14y ago

Cushman 14y ago

You joke, but "Record that awesome thing that just happened" is a button video games have been needing for a long, long time.

drewblaisdell 14y ago
The future does not look like more buttons for increasingly specific functions.
- lowboy 14y ago
  Agreed. User-assignable buttons or touchpad gestures however...
  - owenfi 14y ago
    Yes, or just shouting "Save that!"
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- DigitalJack 14y ago
  Sure it does. So many things happen in cycles. Contiuums are really the trace of a penduluum. We may still be swinging toward "programmable" buttons, but trust me, things will start swinging back at some point, though perhaps not for the reasons we might think.
- jamesaguilar 14y ago
  The evidence suggests it does. How much of this belief do you base on your ideals and how much is based on reality? There used to be just game buttons (joystick + one button on Atari, for ex). There there were start and select. Then there was a console-specific power button (the "XBox" button and the "PS3" button on the Xbox controller and DS3 respectively). Now there's a share button. I dunno dude, it looks like the arrow of history is actually pointing the opposite direction from what you said in this comment.
  - sliverstorm 14y ago
    Power buttons are somewhat special just from a hardware point of view; I don't think they are especially useful for this question. You can't navigate a menu to reach a power-on function. A competing power button service will never come out to replace the currently popular power button service. Every single Xbox or PS3 owner will use the power button(s) with regularity.
    - sukuriant 14y ago
      He's referring to the center button on PS3 and XBOX controllers that goes to the xbox dashboard or PS3 dashboard, or the home button on the Wiimote, etc... at least, that's what I assumed. That button does count.
      - sliverstorm 14y ago
        But that button also powers up the Xbox from a cold boot. The dashboard part is just adding some extra functionality to a button you already have.
        sukuriant 14y ago
        Are you sure it's not the other way around? Or, perhaps an intended dual functionality? Pressing the power button on the physical machine, as far as I remember, does not load the dashboard.
  - 14y ago
jedmeyers 14y ago
The great thing about the 360 isn’t beating the games, it’s showing everyone online that I did.
w-ll 14y ago
Yea, I actually loved this feature with OnLive when I was accepted into the beta. And they had the full VCR controls on it. I really liked this controller as it had the bulk of an xbox controller but with aligned sticks. http://cdn.arstechnica.net/OnLiveController.jpg http://cdn.arstechnica.net/OnLiveController.jpg
shurcooL 14y ago
OnLive has that button (combination).

bitwize 14y ago

Still missing a "like" button though.

yesimahuman 14y ago

Honestly, the headphone jack is the coolest thing on there. If it's not a custom MSFT headset style thing, that rocks! I would much rather play with headphones on than my crappy speakers.

julian37 14y ago
You can have that with any console or TV by getting a pair of wireless headphones. I can recommend Sennheiser, they aren't cheap but worth every penny if you ask me. Excellent sound quality, build quality and UX. (I've got a pair of RS 170s, they've been serving me well for two years now.) http://www.sennheiserusa.com/wireless-stereo-headphones-home http://www.sennheiserusa.com/wireless-stereo-headphones-home
- joverholt 14y ago
  My father-in-law has a pair for watching TV. They are pretty awesome. Great sound quality and you can wander around the house and still hear the TV without cranking it.
- huhtenberg 14y ago
  I tried Sennheisers and couldn't get them to work satisfactory. Lots of interference, crackle and noises. Tried troubleshooting to no avail and in the end had to return them. In other words, keep in mind that there are setups where even the best wireless headphones don't work.

mikeryan 14y ago

Did you read the rest of the article on what "sharing" means? The new PlayStation 4 is also highly focused on offering social experiences. You’ll be able to stream your play sessions to allow input, including your friends taking over control to help you out with a rough patch, for instance. You can also quickly share video clips to friends and the PS network. Gaikai’s technology is also behind the spectating feature of the PS4 which allows you to share your gaming session with a button push and allows friends to jump in and take over control to help you. Some games will allow people to give you items that will help you in game play like ‘health potions’. Having friends take over sounds pretty cool to me. That being said I liked Andy Levy's Tweet. I hope I'll be able to turn off all of these social features on the #PS4. If I wanted to be social I wouldn't be playing videogames.

ekianjo 14y ago

The headphone jack on the pad ! Finally someone noticed the excellent idea of the 3DO back from the early 90s. Why did it take so long to copy this feature??

kevingadd 14y ago
The 360 controller has the same jack on it.
- ekianjo 14y ago
  I did not check the PS4 specs for the jack, but the Xbox controller jack is a 2.5mm one, while the standard headphone jack is 3.5mm.
  - kevingadd 14y ago
    The one they showed in the PS4 presentation looked exactly like the XBox one. I suppose it could be the same shape but be 3.5mm instead of 2.5mm.

OzzyB 14y ago

The only thing I kept thinking was that it's gonna cost me $99 bucks instead of $50 each time I throw my controller at wall with my bad temper. Yes, I'm a sore loser, maybe the share button will make me think twice.