Member-only story
Will You Pay $30 for Two More DualShock 4 Buttons?
Since the original launch Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Controller, Sony PlayStation fans have been waiting for an official response. Astro launched the C40(complete with questionable kiosk),and Scuf launched the Vantage, but Sony stood their ground. They released several new colors of the original DualShock 4 but never truly updated the design.
Now, Sony has announced a weird-looking optional peripheral that adds two buttons to the back of the controller alongside an OLED screen. It’ll run you $30 and it comes out January 23rd in the US, and shortly after that worldwide. It’s called “The DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment,” a name that only a Sony marketing meeting could love.
I’m a big fan of rear controller paddles, or “back buttons” as Sony has now christened them.
When designed correctly, rear game controller buttons expand the usability of console video games. You can typically duplicate any button function to the paddles that you want, giving yourself quicker access to common commands, and the ability to push a face button without lifting your thumbs off the analog sticks.
Microsoft was the only current console platform holder with an “official” rear button solution on the market, now that the Steam controller has died. But…
