The next PlayStation will not use the DualShock controller that has become synonymous with the video game console brand since it release sixteen years ago on the original PlayStation.
In a new report from Computers and Video Games, an unnamed senior games studio employee says, the PlayStation 4's controller has undergone numerous iterations and that few of them resemble the DualShock build.
The source is claiming that the new controller features biometric sensors on the grips and an LCD touch screen. Supposedly Sony's R&D department has performed extensive experiments in order to create the new controller.
CVG also cites a second industry insider with close ties to Sony as saying that the PlayStation engineers are "trying to emulate the same user interface philosophies as the PS Vita." CVG says that this could be a reference to the touch-screen capabilities of the PlayStation handheld.
The article notes that although the DualShock controller will not be the primary controller for the new system, it could still be compatible with the next generation console. It could also be used as a secondary controller much like how the Nintendo Wii U is compatible with its predecessor's Wii Remotes.
CVG reached out to Sony for a comment, but the company has declined to comment on the subject.
The article goes on to say that one of the reasons Sony is possibly creating a new controller for the PlayStation 4 is because of its recent settlement with Immersion- the patent-holder of the rumble technology used in Sony's current game pads. CVG writes that Sony paid Immersion more than $150 million in damages, license fees and other costs with $20 million going to Microsoft, which owns 10 percent of Immersion.
According to the article Sony's license agreement with Immersion ends in 2017 and the deal gives Sony an option to expand the license to future consoles. But perhaps the recent settlement has pushed Sony to rethink the design of its future controllers.
You can check out the rest of the article here on CVG. What do you think of the PS4 abandoning the DualShock controller? Are you interested in the new controllers supposed ability to monitor your heartbeat with biometric technology? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Check out the latest rumors about Sony's upcoming next generation video game system here.
