Sony Details Why DualShock 4 Features Touchpad, Not A Touchscreen

When it came to leaks and rumours about the PlayStation 4, and the Xbox One for that matter, we heard word of a touch screen in each controller. With the Wii U having a small TV in its controller and people being all but glued to their smartphones these days it seemed like a logical step, so why didn’t they do it?

Toshima Aoki, Sony’s Product Planning Manager explains that while they did actually test the controller with a small screen integrated into it, the feedback they had from developers and gamers was that they felt it was a distraction.

“We actually tested it, but [besides cost factors], our game teams felt like having to look down at the controller is not what they want to do. They want to have the consumers concentrated on the big picture that they show [on the TV].” said Aoki when speaking with Gamesbeat.

It seems to have worked too and the new touch pad is pretty cool to have given that it can serve as many different types of action and doesn’t feel like it needs to be integrated into every game. Where as if you had a touch screen, every game dev would likely put something on it, regardless of it being needed to enhance the game experience or not.

What are your thoughts, would you have preferred a little touch screen or are you happy with the touch surface idea?

Thank you Gamespot for providing us with this information.