Sony’s next console, the PS4, may be leaving behind a controller design that they’ve used for the past three generations.
It’s a design that has been a mainstay for Sony consoles for the past sixteen years or so, but rumors are starting to swirl that when the PS4 comes out – likely this year – it won’t be using the familiar Dualshock design.
Whether you call it the PlayStation 4, PS4, or “Orbis,” CVG is reporting that when Sony unveils the machine, likely at E3, it will have a controller that uses a touch screen in the center (much like the Wii U’s GamePad) and biometric sensors that monitor things like your heartrate and temperature, on the grips… something Valve has mentioned looking into as well. It also kind of sounds like that Wii Vitality Sensor that Nintendo famously promised but never delivered.
If true, the PS4 would be a big departure for Sony, after modifying their controller for the PS1 to include dual analog joysticks and rumble with the original Dualshock, which then became a staple of Sony systems to come. It was also the reason for the PlayStation 3’s controller redesign, after gamers reacted negatively toward the original, boomerang-shaped, controller.
Again, this is a rumor for now; we’ll know for sure when the PS4 is unveiled later this year.
