There’s a “share” button, and the light bar, as well as being used to identify players with colour coding, is also the means via which a new PlayStation camera can track the pad for advanced motion controls. Then, you have your standard Dual Shock layouts.

How do you guys feel about it?

Breaking down PS4′s controller, courtesy IGN:

There had been rumblings Sony’s integration of a touch surface for its next-gen controller, and it seems those reports were accurate. In the middle of a photo we can see a glossy plastic panel, not unlike the kind found on the back of the PS Vita. While the intended purpose of the panel is unclear, it’s important to note that it occupies the space previous reserved for the start and select buttons, which have either been removed or are out of view. Given the placement of the touch panel and Sony’s implementation on the PS Vita, it will likely be used for gesture-based navigation and tap commands for functions assigned to certain areas of the surface. There’s also the possibility that panel also features some sort of LCD screen, which also had been previously rumored, but may not have been powered on or functioning at the time of the photo.

Perhaps what’s most immediately apparent is the top-mounted LED, like the type found on the PlayStation Move. It seems likely that the next PlayStation will use the integrated light to track the motion of the controller, perhaps aiding in the aiming or perspective of an in-game character. But whereas the PlayStation Move controllers was designed to be an extension of the player’s arms and serve as a replacement to the DualShock 3, this implementation seems to have been designed to work alongside the standard input methods. Unless, of course, Sony expects users to dual-wield controllers and flail their arms.

What’s most interesting about this revelation is its implications for the PlayStation Eye camera, which is used to track the LEDs — will we see a new improved version? Or, perhaps, will one be integrated into the console itself?

Though hard to make out, we can see a small rectangular button just to the left of the touch pad and the upper right of the d-pad. Based on previous reports, we can guess that this is the fabled “share” button, which could be used to allow users to quickly share in-game clips with friends and potentially third-party services like Facebook. It’s also possible that the feature will be powered by cloud gaming service Gaikai, which Sony acquired last year. Like the “Brag Clip” feature found on OnLive, Gaikai’s servers could be used to stream and record footage of a player’s in-game experience in realtime.

In the center we can also see what appears to be a speaker grate, which suggests Sony could be building an integrated speaker or microphone into the controller. If we consider how the feature has been used on the Wii and Wii U, the speaker could be used to provide additional audible cues and effects. On the other hand, if the port is housing a microphone, it could be used to detect voice commands ala Siri or communications for online play or audio/video conferencing.

On the bottom we can see what appears to be the outer portion of some form of port. While we can’t quite make out the type of connection it’s intended for, its presence immediately brings to mind the Xbox 360′s bottom-mounted microphone cable. It would seem unusual, however, for Sony to so closely replicate a feature and design found on its rival’s previous-gen system, especially when most other elements of the design emphasize innovative new technologies and concepts. There’s also a possibility that the protrusion is not, in fact, a port, but rather a switch of some kind. It could be used to disable the touch pad to prevent erroneous taps or even activate the Move controller LED.

While it seems the X, square, circle, and triangle buttons have remained unaltered, the d-pad and thumbsticks look remarkably different than the DualShock 3. The overall width of the controller seems significantly larger and by association the sticks are further apart. The thumpads have also been tweaked to include a distinct ridge around the edges and a convex center. To the left, we can see that the directional buttons are larger and seem to be part of one solid piece divided by small indentations. The shoulder buttons are out of view, but it’s clear that the base of the chassis is wider, suggesting that Sony could be giving the buttons added surface area.

Although we’ve confirmed that this is a legitimate prototype, it’s possible that the final design may be different. What’s more, it’s unclear if the pictured controller represents the model that will be bundled with the system or a variation that players can buy separately. And most obviously, we have no sense of the rear side of the design — has Sony changed the triggers? Do the grips have biometric sensors as previously rumored? Only time will tell.

So what do you Games Thirst folks think o the controller? I’m starting to warm up to it.

Update 1: Kotaku’s now reporting that the controller is actually a real prototype, in other words the final product should look very similar to what you’re about to see.

Original Story: We finally have an actual picture of what the PlayStation 4 controller looks like.

The picture was first sent to Destructoid. Now, it’s unclear if the picture’s actually real, so although it looks like the real deal, this story will be labeled as a rumor. Sony has refused to comment.

And industry source familiar with the new console says the  photo is the real deal. However keep in mind, it may not represent the final form of the controller. Kotaku points to the official Orbis documentation that was shared a few weeks ago, which noted that the controller would feature a two-point multi-touch capable “pad” similar to the one on the back of the Vita. It can also be clicked for an additional input. Curiously, this prototype seems to not include a “Share” button, despite that button being described in the documentation.

PlayStation 4 controller analysis, courtesy IGN:

The analog sticks look to be a bit further apart, though they remain level, unlike the Xbox 360 controller’s unevenly placed sticks. However, the sticks themselves are concave, like the Xbox 360’s. PlayStation 3’s controller includes convex analog sticks.

The much-rumored touch pad – a la the back of PlayStation Vita – appears at the center of the controller. There’s a small, mystery button to the left of the pad, above and to the right of the d-pad. Is this the rumored share button? Or is it a start or select button, both conspicuously absent from this version of the controller?

Meanwhile, there’s a glowing “something” on the top of the controller – most likely PlayStation Move-related – as well as a PlayStation button seemingly identical to the one on the PS3 controller. Above the PlayStation button appears to be a speaker, and what looks to be an audio jack is underneath the controller, perhaps used to plug in a headset.

Here’s a big picture of the PS4 prototype controller. Here’s a magnified view.

Developing…

As a consequence of the new touch pad, the start and select buttons have been  inconvenienced and moved elsewhere.

Recent rumors pin the console down for a late 2013 release, and a price tag of $400. It’ll also feature Gaikai tech, apparently.

PlayStation 4 is expected to be revealed next Wednesday.

Take a good look and tell us what you think. Should Sony say farewell to the old and welcome the new PS controller? It’s apparently got a share button in the center, and might feature a touchscreen.

Let’s talk. Do it here: The Official Games Thirst Opinion Hall.

This weekend I’ll get more into Crysis 3′s beta, I must admit the more I play, the more I enjoy it. I’ll get back into inFamous 2, complete LittleBigPlanet 2 with my wife, and finally play some Battlefield 3. Long list, and I’m not sure if I’ll get it all done, but that, at least, is the intention.

Apart from gaming, the weekend remains a quiet one for me. I’m supposed to take my mom and wife out to see a flick tonight so I’ll probably do that.

In the interim, I’ll be thinking about PlayStation 4 and how it impacts the industry: everything from games to platforms. Note: you can expect Xbox 720 to be announced very soon – in fact right after PS4 is revealed, MS will most likely announce its next-gen plans. I’m sure you’re excited.

What’s up for this weekend? Make it known, and have a blessed one!

Via Edge-Online:

PlayStation 4 revealed

Development sources with working knowledge of both next generation consoles have told us that PlayStation 4 will be more powerful than the next Xbox, will ship with a redesigned controller and launch by the end of the year in Japan and the US. PlayStation 4’s European launch will follow in early 2014.

Sony is set to reveal its next PlayStation on Wednesday February 20th at an event dubbed ‘see the future’. Sony Computer Entertainment released a teaser video last night to announce the event. Below, our sources revealed what to expect from PlayStation 4.

Sources close to the hardware have revealed to us that PS4 will ship with a redesigned controller which is the same size as an existing DualShock but features a small touchpad in place of the existing Select, Start and PS buttons. The tech is based on Vita’s rear touchpad, and is similarly responsive in use.

A new Share button on the controller will, when pressed, launch a new feature that will allow screenshots and video to be distributed online. The PS4 hardware will continually record the most recent 15 minutes of onscreen action (with no processing penalty, claims our source), which users will then be able to edit and broadcast via the Internet.

We’re told that PlayStation 4 will launch in Japan and the US by Christmas, with a Euro rollout following in early 2014, the delay attributed to the complexities involved in European distribution. Alongside the console, Sony will also introduce a new, improved iteration of its PlayStation Eye peripheral, which remains compatible with the PlayStation Move controller. Move will be available at launch, but it’s not clear yet whether it will be bundled with the hardware.

Sony has already earned an enormous amount of goodwill among studios working with PS4 development hardware. Privately, Sony representatives have conceded that the company made a mistake in creating such esoteric architecture for PS3, and its strategy for PS4 gives developers more opportunities this time around, notably because the hardware is much more PC-like in its makeup than PS3.

We have confirmed with sources that recently leaked tech specs are accurate. Though Durango devkits offer 8GB of DDR3 RAM, compared to Orbis’s 4GB, Sony’s GDDR5 solution is capable of moving data at 176 gigabytes per second, which should eliminate the sort of bottlenecks that hampered PS3 game performance. Importantly, we’ve learned that Sony has told developers that it is pushing for the final PS4 RAM to match up to Microsoft’s 8GB.

Both platforms are driven by eight-core AMD CPUs clocked at 1.6GHz, with Microsoft opting for a D3D11.x GPU from an unknown source and Sony utilising a more capable solution in AMD’s ‘R10XX’ architecture, alongside the so-called ‘Liverpool’ system-on-chip.

It’s clear Sony has designed a system that, on paper, outperforms Microsoft’s next Xbox. One source familiar with both platforms tells us that in real terms Sony’s console is “slightly more powerful” and “very simple to work with”.

Ultimately, the performance differences between the two consoles will have as much bearing on multiplatform releases as the differences between PS3 and 360 – very little – but Sony will be expecting big-budget firstparty releases such as the PS4 Uncharted sequel to demonstrate its console’s superiority.

Experiments within Sony’s R&D department are thought to have been extensive. Versions of the new PS4 pad include biometric sensors on the grips and an LCD touch screen, the development source claimed.

A second source, working in a separate part of the industry but still connected to Sony, said PlayStation engineers are “trying to emulate the same user interface philosophies as the PS Vita”. This is likely a reference to the touch-screen capabilities of the PlayStation handheld, and a suggestion that Sony will tightly integrate its portable and home systems.

PS4 will be revealed in a matter of weeks, not months, claims the CVG source.

The rumor claimed that PS Omni’s “controllers, whether it’s the Duo-Moves or the Classic DuoShock, will have pulse sensors in the grips for biofeedback gameplay.”

According to the patent, each half of the controller can also feature motion-sensing technology like a gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer. That’s on top of rumble, a speaker and analogue stick/button inputs.

There are similarities in there, and the rumor is on point with the integrated “sensor” portion.

Check out the patent through here. You’ll see the full breakdown.