CVG is reporting that Sony may be abandoning the familiar DualShock design for the controllers accompanying its next-generation console. The report cites a “senior games studio source working on an upcoming Sony game” as saying that, of the designs he or she has seen for the new controller, most of them are not the DualShock design.
The DualShock design has been a mainstay of PlayStation gaming since the original Sony console. The first DualShock controller debuted in the fall of 1997 and the basic design has endured through all three PlayStation consoles though some refinements and “Sixaxis” motion controls have been added through the years. Many gamers admire Sony for its “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” philosophy toward controller design while Nintendo continued to experiment wildly with its designs for the Nintendo 64, Gamecube, and Wii controllers.
The CVG report also claims experiments with new controllers at Sony have included biometric sensors and a Wii U-like touch screen. Given all of the touch sensitivity on Sony’s PlayStation Vita console, it wouldn’t be a surprise to at lease see touch controls on the back of a next-gen Sony controller.
The report also boldly claims that gamers will not have to wait until E3 to get a glimpse of the PlayStation 4. Sony’s next-gen console is now rumored to be revealed in just weeks instead of months. A big announcement and a good showing for the console (and a reasonable price) would certainly put pressure on Microsoft, which is currently counting down to its next-gen console announcement at E3 in June.
