News & Rumours: Playstation 4/ Orbis *spin*

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Positional audio would work with wireless headphones, but I suppose a headphone jack will be accessible to everyone without adding massively to the BOM. Perhaps there'll be a range of optional wireless headsets too? But I do like the idea. It'd be a great enhancement to gaming without needing a calibrated surround sound system.
 
anexanhume said:
Breaking backwards compatibility on titles likely to be re-released on PSN is worth saving 50 cents per controller?
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Most people don't even know the PS2/PS3 controller has pressure sensitive face buttons.

The only reason for this is because the other consoles don't have pressure sensitive buttons. The only buttons which are pressure sensitive on the 360 controller are the triggers.

The assumption is that if the other systems don't have it, Sony doesn't either. VG leaks probably just left it out for one reason or another, maybe just more hits.

As for the cost, why is the Dualshock still $50? Because they can make money off of people spending $50 for a controller pad, that's the only reason. It has little to do with the piece of kit actually costing a lot to make.

There is no reason for Sony to leave out pressure sensitive buttons. Gran Turismo uses pressure sensitive face buttons for braking and acceleration. I don't think Kazunori would be very happy leaving them out after they've been in the controller for two (well, three if Sixaxis is counted) iterations.
 
Wow, after 6 years I just realized everything is pressure sensitive, I thought it was only L2/R2 and the 4 face buttons.
I just tried it in GT5 and even the L1/R1 and the D-pad are pressure sensitive.
 
I'm also interested by the 8 lnumbered lights on the box. ways for mking error codes or indictavie of 8 wireless devices\controllers possible?
 
This is wild conjecture, but through the bottom vents we can see vertical fins of a very wide heatsink. It seems excessive for a 100W SoC. Maybe the dev kit doesn't have the SoC yet.
 
Xenus said:
I'm also interested by the 8 lnumbered lights on the box. ways for mking error codes or indictavie of 8 wireless devices\controllers possible?
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I vaguely remember PS3 can connect up to 7 USB devices but I can't find any reference.
 
rockaman said:
There is no reason for Sony to leave out pressure sensitive buttons.
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Cost. Why include a tech no-one's really using? That's why the parallel port was removed from the old PS1, and rightly so.
Gran Turismo uses pressure sensitive face buttons for braking and acceleration. I don't think Kazunori would be very happy leaving them out after they've been in the controller for two (well, three if Sixaxis is counted) iterations.
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Any real GT fan uses a wheel. Map accelerate to the trigger and be done with it. It'd be stupid to include more expensive analogue buttons for 0.001% of the game library that values it. As you say yourself, most people probably aren't even aware the buttons are pressure sensitive, showing how pointless and underused that feature is. Only if the pressure sensitive buttons are negligible extra cost does it make any sense to include them.
 
Muahaha, I am one of those who prefer Vita's clicky digital dpad to PS3's squishy pressure sensitive dpad. I didn't realize they were pressure sensitive. >_<
 
patsu said:
Muahaha, I am one of those who prefer Vita's clicky digital dpad to PS3's squishy pressure sensitive dpad. I didn't realize they were pressure sensitive. >_<
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The problem with the clicky pad is that they will eventually fail, while the conductive rubber is practically immortal. I wouldn't mind if they'd make them a little less squishy though.
 
Shifty Geezer said:
Cost. Why include a tech no-one's really using? That's why the parallel port was removed from the old PS1, and rightly so.
Any real GT fan uses a wheel. Map accelerate to the trigger and be done with it. It'd be stupid to include more expensive analogue buttons for 0.001% of the game library that values it. As you say yourself, most people probably aren't even aware the buttons are pressure sensitive, showing how pointless and underused that feature is. Only if the pressure sensitive buttons are negligible extra cost does it make any sense to include them.
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All true GT fans own a wheel? OK sure. How many "true GT fans" are there? Not 10 million, by your definition.

I'll list some games that use pressure sensitive buttons off the top of my head, and then you can calculate whether or not it is 0.001%.

Metal Gear Solid 2
Metal Gear Solid 3
Gran Turismo 3
Gran Turismo 4
Gran Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

I could continue, but pretty much a huge proportion of driving games on PS2 used pressure sensitive face buttons for braking and acceleration as well, not just GTA. We are also forgetting the point that more DualShock controllers are sold than consoles, and others are severely overrating how much of a cost burden the DualShock is for Sony (re: it isn't a cost burden).

And why include the tech? Because it's an option there for usability. It can be adjusted for different games. The digital on-off threshold can even be adjusted. If someone wants to use it, it's there. It's not just about the bottom dollar, because frankly the DualShock is a money maker. It sells more than the console itself, and a profit is made from it on day one. There is little reason to look to the DualShock for cost savings. Whatever savings made from taking out pressure sensitivity are guaranteed to pale in comparison to choosing off-the-shelf components rather than continuing with Cell.

The DualShock is a great controller for a million reasons, and having this extra sensitivity that other controllers don't have is just another reason it's such a versatile controller.

The truth is we don't have a good enough reason that Sony will take it out, and I don't have a good enough reason Sony will keep it in. So let's leave it at waiting for the official announcement rather than acting as the armchair president/CEO of SCE.
 
GT5 doesn't really "use" the pressure buttons, it merely "allows" them. Nobody will ever care if they can't be used anymore.

It becomes impossible to play GT5 with the face buttons once you get to the 500pp-600pp class, unless you enable a lot of driving aids. They're not precise enough and you'll spinout with the more powerful cars. Most people who don't have a wheel/pedals will use the right stick, which is the default mapping and is very precise, others will remap the rear triggers for accel and brake.
 
AlphaWolf said:
Um.. If you don't want to read speculation, the forums are the wrong place for you.
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Speculation doesn't equate to claiming things are pointless. That's not speculation. That's a statement of fact, a little different ;)

It could be speculation if one said 'I think they won't be included because...'

Just because people are unaware of a technology underlying their entertainment doesn't necessarily mean it hasn't brought value. Sometimes people may use a device and not understand the 'meaning' of the feature they are using.

Besides, Gran Turismo was not the only game to use these features. In Grand Theft Auto it was an easy way to be between going light on the pedal or heavy on the pedal. In Metal Gear Solid, they are instrumental in the design of the game. The pressure sensitivity of the face buttons and triggers are used. Without them, the Vita requires some far more uncomfortable button maneuvers to emulate the same functionality.

Saying the added functionality cannot or will not be used is not speculation. It's a statement of fact, and there's not evidence to back it up just yet. 'I think...' might be an appropriate qualifier.

I just wouldn't be willing to throw all the eggs in one basket like some others here. Cost arguments I think don't apply very well, since the controllers and other peripherals have always been one of the best ways any of the console makers can use hardware to make money.

I'd guess Sony would sooner slap a $10 premium on the controller than throw away functionality which has been there for over 15 years. After all, what's more profitable? Justification for a $10 premium on a controller with new functionality, or saving 50 cents to take out pressure sensitive face buttons?

That is speculation ;)
 
The variable pressure sensitivity on the face buttons is too small to be useful playing GT IMO. When I did use the face buttons playing GT, I had to 'tap' them to give the amount of gas or brakes that I wanted... there's no way I could control it by applying the right amount of pressure. Mapping the throttle and brakes to R2/L2 gives much better control over the throttle and brakes anyway. But having a wheel is better than a controller hands down. There are many GT players that use a controller, but true race sim fans use a wheel. I honestly won't miss the pressure sensitive face buttons if they are in fact removed.
 
MrFox said:
The problem with the clicky pad is that they will eventually fail, while the conductive rubber is practically immortal. I wouldn't mind if they'd make them a little less squishy though.
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Haha, if they could deliver the best of both worlds, yes.

I was just amazed that I didn't know all the face buttons are pressure sensitive. It didn't cross my mind once.
 
The pressure sensitive buttons best use is scrolling long lists of, well anything. And when you push the D-Pad in anger it actually makes a difference :)
 
dagamer said:
That $38 million in profit likely includes whatever R&D costs are being spent on the PS4. Granted, it's not going to be PS3 levels ($400 million for the Cell Broadband Engine alone), but it's not going to be zero either.
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That's true but that's true for virtually all past fiscal years as well. R&D is always ongoing. Whether it's for Move, PSeye, PSP, VITA, Playstation, new control scheme's that may never get revealed to the public, etc.

Holding that up as explanation for a rather lackluster year really doesn't explain much.

patsu said:
Haha, if they could deliver the best of both worlds, yes.

I was just amazed that I didn't know all the face buttons are pressure sensitive. It didn't cross my mind once.
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Haha, that's funny. :) I don't own a PS3 but I've always known the DS3 had pressure sensitive face buttons. So funny. :)

Regards,
SB
 
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