PS4 Controller Aims to Be "Ideal" For FPS Games

[PoolCleaningRobot]

A friend of mine went to e3 and said the ps4 controller was the most comfortable controller he'd ever held. I'm definitely looking forward to more sensitive sticks and new design. That said, it won't replace keyboard and mouse for a lot of people. I don't play fps's competitively so that kind of super precision doesn't matter as much as avoiding the hand cramps I get using keyboard and mouse

 

[KaZuYa]

PS4 Controller Aims to Be "Ideal" For FPS Games

Oh, so the PS4 will be Keyboard+Mouse based then.

Although this post seems to be getting a lot of support, I would like to respectfully disagree. I find that joysticks and triggers feel much better and more immersive for FPS games than a mouse and keyboard (the latter of which makes me feel more like I'm writing an essay with bullets rather than playing a game), and while I will admit that a mouse is better at aiming, I find that the loss of accuracy for console players is beneficial to gameplay, balancing snipers and increasing the likelihood of intimate close-to-mid range combat.

However, I would be glad to hear a counter-argument.

Are you trying to say dumbed down and unresponsive controls is more fun? I mean seriously it's the First Person Shooter genre, Aim is the biggest requirement in shooters and it's not just aim it's also speed you lose with a gamepad, slowing the game down and making it more "Mainstream". Unreal Tournament `99 and Quake 3 Arena were fast paced close/mid range shooters and they needed the same advantages with a mouse.

Basically anything with a First Person aspect will be easier and more immersive with a mouse because the whole design concept suits it where as the controller doesn't. It all comes from the old arcade games, Driving games = Wheel, Fighting/Football games = Joypad and Shooters = Guns aka point and click aka mouse, nothing has changed.

 

[Andy Shandy]

While we agree that the Dualshock 4 looks pretty nifty, we kind of wish that Sony would develop controllers attuned to all the major genres. Imagine how neat it would be to have an official controllers fine tuned to the needs of RPGs or strategy games? Genre specific controllers could arguably help to mitigate some of the sacrifices that developers have to make when bringing more complex games to consoles.

Oh god, don't give them ideas! D:

We'd have about 15 different controllers that they would each be made mandatory for each genre.

But I'm liking what I'm hearing about both the PS4 and the Xbox One's controllers. Haven't heard a bad word about either of them actually which bodes exceptionally well.

 

[Weaver]

Controllers are responsible for FPS games being so damn slow now.

 

[abdul]

Just what would a controller for RPG for example look like that's sooo different from a controller that's good for FPS? I seriously don't get this complaint.For strategy games you're probably better off ditching controller altogether and just switch to kb and mouse.For i dunno driving games,again,nothing short of making the controller look like a driving wheel's gonna offer marginally better controls.

 

[teebeeohh]

PS4 Controller Aims to Be "Ideal" For FPS Games

Oh, so the PS4 will be Keyboard+Mouse based then.

Although this post seems to be getting a lot of support, I would like to respectfully disagree. I find that joysticks and triggers feel much better and more immersive for FPS games than a mouse and keyboard (the latter of which makes me feel more like I'm writing an essay with bullets rather than playing a game), and while I will admit that a mouse is better at aiming, I find that the loss of accuracy for console players is beneficial to gameplay, balancing snipers and increasing the likelihood of intimate close-to-mid range combat.

However, I would be glad to hear a counter-argument.

The lack of of fast and precise aiming on consoles leads to slower gameplay which moved us from quake to the MMS. It also reduces three weapon. Controllers also require some kind of autoaim or lock on, which further slows down the game and lowers the skill ceiling. The power of precise sniping is balanced by having a fast game, ideally without hitscan weapons, allowing you to be fast enough not to be an easy target and actually dodge shots.

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

The lack of of fast and precise aiming on consoles leads to slower gameplay which moved us from quake to the MMS. It also reduces three weapon. Controllers also require some kind of autoaim or lock on, which further slows down the game and lowers the skill ceiling. The power of precise sniping is balanced by having a fast game, ideally without hitscan weapons, allowing you to be fast enough not to be an easy target and actually dodge shots.

First of all, I always turn off aim assist if I can. It makes it more difficult to get a quick kill, but I have the freedom to choose my own targets, and I can appreciate the difficulty of lining up a shot. I don't exactly understand your comment about the speed of games, I often find most shooters to be too fast-paced, which makes it very difficult to work tactically. I prefer a game where the skilled player can dodge shots just as well as taking them, which I would imagine only works if the enemy has trouble aiming.
I wouldn't say that there is a loss of precision aiming on consoles, just that it takes longer to line up the right shot. Pointing and clicking to me feels unrealistic, whereas moving around dual joysticks reminds me of using two hands to reposition a rifle; one for the back, i.e. moving, and one for the front, for aiming. I agree that bullets are better when they are not hitscan, but I think that the added difficulty of aiming with a controller makes the process of shooting just difficult enough to give targets the ability to survive an attack by an undisciplined enemy, and return fire with an accuracy equivalent to the amount of time they have to aim.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

Thus the one guy in the entire world who HATES mouse and keyboard is finally appeased. Lookin' out for the little guy.
Whilst I found nothing wrong with thw previous controller, I've got nothing against something being made more confortable and giving me better.... control. *shades*

 

[Eppy (Bored)]

As a lifelong member of the glorious PC Gaming Master Race AND an owner of both major consoles I will say this:

The PC will ALWAYS be the better platform for the FPS because, yes, the mouse'n'keyboard give you a much, much more rapid and accurate response than a controller ever will.

THAT SAID.

In the context of the consoles (and there is nothing wrong with playing a shooter on a console, guys) I think that the Xbox controller is almost invariably the better one unless you have abnormally large hands. It's more ergonomic and the placement of the left thumbstick above the D-Pad makes it much easier to hold in a neutral position without any tension on the thumb. The triggers are also better, but the new position of that thumbstick (and the shortness of those thumb sticks in general) make the Xbox controller much more suited to the FPS than the PS3.

...which is a shame, because the PS3 is a better console in every other way. If Xbox kept the same basic design (I believe they did) then they have a leg up on the Dualshock 4 in the FPS market just by virtue of it being easier on the thumbs. In every other respect, though, I like the new Dualshock controller better, and the addition of shorter, concave thumbstick and a more curved grip is going to be a huge boon; I just modded Xboc thumbsticks onto my PS3 controller and let me tell you, it's a aorkd of difference. If the triggers aren't spongy it's going to be golden.

As far as the touchpad is concerned, I actually think Sony has an advantage over the Xbone for other genres. One of the things I had the most trouble with going from PC to Console with the Mass Effect games was the lack of power availability. The whole power wheel was sort of a joke in the PC version because you had 8 open slots on the number keys you can hit with finger 2, 3 or 4; you didn't need it for anything except giving commands (and if I recall you can hotline those too). In the console version I was using that wheel like mad, because you only get two buttons. For Soldiers and Infiltrators that's okay, but Adepts and Vanguards are sore out of luck. If that touchpad can be used as a sort of virtual button array or as a sort of quick-access inventory screen it's already solved a lot of problems with the console interface - you now have a significant number of new virtual controls that can be reconfigured at the developer's whim. THAT makes me excited; the possibilities for RPGs are very diverse.

 

[Dr.Susse]

Controllers tailored to specific genres?

Please don't give Sony ideas for expensive new peripherals.

Want to play C.O.D 20? Well first you'll have to buy the Dualshock FPS. Want to play Skyrim 2? Dualshock Rpg is what you'll need.....and so on.

As much as I love Sony i'll admit they love little extra costs with their consoles.

 

[teebeeohh]

The lack of of fast and precise aiming on consoles leads to slower gameplay which moved us from quake to the MMS. It also reduces three weapon. Controllers also require some kind of autoaim or lock on, which further slows down the game and lowers the skill ceiling. The power of precise sniping is balanced by having a fast game, ideally without hitscan weapons, allowing you to be fast enough not to be an easy target and actually dodge shots.

First of all, I always turn off aim assist if I can. It makes it more difficult to get a quick kill, but I have the freedom to choose my own targets, and I can appreciate the difficulty of lining up a shot. I don't exactly understand your comment about the speed of games, I often find most shooters to be too fast-paced, which makes it very difficult to work tactically. I prefer a game where the skilled player can dodge shots just as well as taking them, which I would imagine only works if the enemy has trouble aiming.I wouldn't say that there is a loss of precision aiming on consoles, just that it takes longer to line up the right shot. Pointing and clicking to me feels unrealistic, whereas moving around dual joysticks reminds me of using two hands to reposition a rifle; one for the back, i.e. moving, and one for the front, for aiming. I agree that bullets are better when they are not hitscan,

Look at videos of quake 3 or similar games and compare that to a modern shooter, the characters move a lot faster thus making it a lot harder to hit people, even with rail guns that kill in two shots and hit the exact pixel you aim at.
And how else would you describe "less precise" except that it takes longer to properly aim and shoot things?

but I think that the added difficulty of aiming with a controller makes the process of shooting just difficult enough to give targets the ability to survive an attack by an undisciplined enemy, and return fire with an accuracy equivalent to the amount of time they have to aim.

I actually think that this is the wrong way to solve the problem,you shouldn't gimp the aiming in order to account for people being slow, you can just allow the characters to move faster and make hits can weapons less powerful so you don't just have the option to aim fast and precise but you actually that in order to secure a kill. I think a good console shooter should actually focus less on precise aiming and instead allow for some cool movement with jet packs or rocket boosts or some other system that uses the advantage of having an analogue stick to control movement.

 

[NWJ94]

PS4 Controller Aims to Be "Ideal" For FPS Games

Oh, so the PS4 will be Keyboard+Mouse based then.

Although this post seems to be getting a lot of support, I would like to respectfully disagree. I find that joysticks and triggers feel much better and more immersive for FPS games than a mouse and keyboard (the latter of which makes me feel more like I'm writing an essay with bullets rather than playing a game), and while I will admit that a mouse is better at aiming, I find that the loss of accuracy for console players is beneficial to gameplay, balancing snipers and increasing the likelihood of intimate close-to-mid range combat.

However, I would be glad to hear a counter-argument.

At least for me I have two problems with immersion in 1st person and controllers. The problem is no matter what sensitivity I'm on one of two things tends to happen.

a) my guy turns like a fat cow
b) my guy gets ADHD and can't keep his sights still for a second

Neither feels natural to me at all since either

a) my guy can aim, but winds up having to rotate slowly while someone shoots him in the back,
b) my guy can rotate quickly to meet threats, but the cross hairs have to be moved into position by strafing and pulling the trigger when the cross hair passes over the target.

When I use a mouse to control it feels hugely more natural on screen since I can snap my field of view to a particular area in a moment with elbow movement, and then fine tune its exact position with wrist movement

I love my gamepad for third person games, but first person without a mouse just feels clunky and limited. Take this post with a grain of salt though since I grew up playing TF2 not halo so I'm naturally pretty biased as to which is more natural.

As for balancing snipers and mid range fights that not controls that's game design, to continue with TF2 the sniper is no where near OP as careful design limits his power despite the precision of a mouse.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

I defy you to look at the the original xbox S and PS2 dual shock controllers and tell me they were not designed with FPS or 3rd PS in mind. Also as sweet as a mouse is for FPS I hate the keyboard control. I would kill for analogue movement that didn't involve a joystick.

 

[iniudan]

Spoiler

PC gaming master race reporting for duty, sir !

This is my rifle. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy, who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my rifle and myself are defenders of my country, we are the masters of our enemy, we are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.

Ew, Digital Keyboard? Mechanical is the way to go dude. Not to mention the R.A.T. 7 is like the greatest gaming mouse ever made. /partialsarcasm

I just took that picture because it was the better looking keyboard+mouse combo about the size I wanted, cause I was lazy and didn't want to look what are the re-size parameter on the escapist. =p

If I had been willing to spend more time, I would have choosen a cool looking custom WASD keyboard, along a Razer Ouroboros (with LED off, prefering it to a RAT has I find ambidextrous, or only very slightly right handed ergonomic model -like logitech MX51x series- mouse more comfortable to hold)

 

[Ishigami]

They can't be serious.
I mean they want to optimize their controller for shooters and yet they still have lousy small lower triggers that are straight in shape and therefore will tilt just like the old crappy ones of the PS3 as well as they haven't grasp the need to exchanged the location of the mostly pointless D-pad with the very important left stick.

Yea Sony I so believe you... NOT. If you want to see how the damn best gamepad for shooter looks like have a a look at the XBox 360 or probably XO for that matter.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

I don't want to burst your bubble Mark, but mouse & keyboard are the ideal peripherals for playing First Person Shooters.

These type of news regarding what thing will work for which genre should stop, it will only lead to a flame war, just saying.

The console gamers who play FPS's will probably have to tell me I'm wrong with my first phrase there so...

*activates flame shield*

 

[OCAdam]

I can get past the thumb sticks part (what with the placement of a D-pad where a thumb stick is better suited), but what I need are better triggers. DS3 triggers are just so imprecise! It makes it nigh impossible to run any decent laps in a racing game because I'm forced to use TCS and ABS because of how the triggers push in. If they manage to get that right, then I won't end up just hoping some 3rd party company just makes PS4 compatible controllers that are simply just the X360's controller reworked for the PS4.