Yoshida: PS4 Controller Basic Functionality Will Work On PC

[Karloff]

Yoshida: PS4 Controller Basic Functionality Will Work On PC

But wait for tests, he warns.

The PS4 DualShock 4 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km1RrmjnudI] controller's basic functionality will work "just fine" on PC, according to Sony's Shuhei Yoshida. This reveal comes as part of a Twitter conversation Yoshida had with fans, and he went on to confirm that it would have compatability "by default." However he immediately cautioned fans to wait for the field report after launch, so - while it will work on PC - the exact details await a post-November briefing.

By basic functionality Yoshida certainly didn't mean the touchpad, just the analog sticks and buttons. The DualShock 4 reveal PS Vita TV [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122262-Sony-Unveils-the-DualShock-4-Controller], though remote play would not be available at launch.

Yoshida also took to Twitter to tell another fan that external headsets with 3.5 mm jacks will work [https://twitter.com/yosp/status/386904529909719040], but the external microphone may or may not.

Source: Twitter [https://twitter.com/yosp/status/386257948487340032]


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[Roxas1359]

Huh well it'd be nice to see if the new Dualshock can perform well on PC. Wouldn't mind using it with my PC versions of games.
I welcome this. If it doesn't work too well I've always got my Wii U Pro controller that I can use on my PC.

 

[Zeren]

There are more and more reasons that I just might get a PS4. I'll probably wait until the second generation of it though. I would like to avoid any of the problems that most first gen consoles have.

 

[Vivi22]

Give the fans and modding community a day or two and they'll probably have drivers that get the touchpad working out in the wild.

 

[Charli]

*nodbad face* Cross compatibility with a PC will win you friends Sony. Yes indeedy.

S'always nice to have something in your house that works with two things without scouring the mod scenes.

 

[Doom972]

I'm guessing that by "basic functionality" he means DirectInput compatibility, which isn't as useful as X-Input for modern games.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Using a PS3 controller with emulators on PC works just fine.
Why buy that waaaaaay more expensive one, which adds nothing?

 

[mechalynx]

Gosh, Sony. It's like you actually want people buying your stuff, unlike a certain competitor. Does this have a built in battery pack akin to its predecessor? If it does I'll readily chuck my 360 PC controller out the window.

 

[Roxas1359]

Gosh, Sony. It's like you actually want people buying your stuff, unlike a certain competitor. Does this have a built in battery pack akin to its predecessor? If it does I'll readily chuck my 360 PC controller out the window.

It does. The PS4 controller is pretty much exactly the same as the PS3 controller, except with better triggers and a touch pad. It has a rechargeable pack built in and uses mini USB like the PS3 controller does.

 

[DjinnFor]

Using a PS3 controller with emulators on PC works just fine.
Why buy that waaaaaay more expensive one, which adds nothing?

1. Because there are only two functional emulators for the PS3 controller, the simpler of which mimics the functionality of a Trojan Horse virus and the other is horribly complex for the average user.

2. Because when you buy a PS4 you actually need to be able to play it somehow.

 

[MrHide-Patten]

So I wont have to use the crappy Xbox Controller?! Thank Ya Jezus!

*Cannot be fucked with emulators*

 

[Caiphus]

Hooray! I won't have to futz about with emulators any longer. Lovely.

Hopefully the analog sticks don't all break like the ones on my PS3 controllers have. That would be pleasantly surprising.

 

[Rednog]

I guess that's great news for fans of the playstation controller, I personally have a hard time using a playstation controller. It's the primary reason my PS3 gets so little play, my hands just feel awkward and are prone to cramping when I use the PS3 controller. Curious to see if companies will embrace it and actually have button displays for the PS4 controller like current setups have for the 360 controller.

 

[Arawn]

This is interesting to say the least. Some PC games do allow for controllers, but I've never really seen many PC controllers sold in stores. On a few of the games I've seen the settings are for Xbox controllers. So even if the newly improved PS4 controller works isn't it up to the game publisher to have it accept the device?

 

[CrystalShadow]

This is interesting to say the least. Some PC games do allow for controllers, but I've never really seen many PC controllers sold in stores. On a few of the games I've seen the settings are for Xbox controllers. So even if the newly improved PS4 controller works isn't it up to the game publisher to have it accept the device?

Nah. PC gamepads are basically one of two things:

DirectInput devices, or X-Input devices.
(Some work as both)

DirectInput is obsolete according to microsoft, but a lot of older games use it, and most older controllers work using DirectInput.

X-Input devices are used with most modern games. (Sometimes the games also support DirectInput controllers, but often not, because microsoft discourages it for new games.)

The most common X-Input controller is the 360 controller. And since microsoft also happened to declare it the 'official' game controller for PC games, games that implement X-input use graphics and button prompts implying that they only support xbox controllers.

However, the reality is that any controller that supports the X-input standard should work. That has nothing to do with the publisher (beyond choosing whether they implement X-input and/or directInput support in a game), and more to do with whether the controller manufacturer chooses to make their controller X-input compatible.

Even if the controller looks nothing like a 360 controller, if it implements X-input support correctly, it should still work.