by Phoenix, HSM team writer

Practically all console gamers have seen the new PS4 controller, if not tried it already. If you’re like me, you probably wondered at first what the large square pad was for. From my point of view: that large square pad is the bridge from computers to consoles.

It makes sense. Unlike the PS3’s hopelessly convoluted CellOS architecture, the PS4 is basically a mid-tier PC (which, given the price, is a pretty decent deal). And that touchpad should help further bridge the gap from the so-called “PC Master Race” to their console brethren. For everyone that has at one time or another absentmindedly reached for the smooth, familiar feel of a mouse pad and not found it on a console, the PS4 controller was created for you.

That large, smooth, square surface is a strange addition to a console’s controller, right? Well, only until you get used to it. Some console gamers vow to never use it because it makes no sense to have it there; why would Sony think that a click pad would be a good idea? What games could benefit from such an inclusion? I know I felt that way at first; I was freaked out the first time I picked up a PS4 controller and stared at the odd new interface. No more Select button; no more Start button. And the PS button moved lower. Instead, we have Share and Options — and that pad.

My fingers kept hitting this pad when I first started to work with the new controller, and depending on what game I was playing, it was annoying.  In one game it pulled up a map; in another game it caused a special move to be used; and when typing, it moved my cursor. I wasn’t trying to do any of these at the time. What the hell?

I was angry that this pad was ruining my play time. But let’s face it: the PS4 controller changes the reflex time and allows some additional convenience for players in a world where PC use is so prevalent. Like it or not, in PvP games that rely on reflex — such as those FPS games console users wet themselves over — a mouse and keyboard is simply a superior interface. But the PS4 is determined to work towards closing that gap.

For so many of us today, the computer is almost a part of our bodies. We are on them a significant amount of time every day. We use the mouse pad for laptops more times them we can probably count. It is more intuition born out of habit for us now; our hands move of their own accord to advance the cursor as we type, scroll and do just about anything on the tablet and laptop.

Sony added this feature with that habitual intuition of PC users in mind. But what is its practical use with console games?

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I’m a writer and I’m on my laptop at the very least for six hours of my day, whether I’m in classes or at home. I don’t know how often I touch that pad, but I do know it is part of my hand control of my computer workings; so much so that I often use my thumb to control the pad.

The more I play PS4 games and utilize this pad when possible, the more I found it wasn’t a habitual accident that kept me touching it; this pad made my gameplay better. I was now able to, with the touch of the pad, use special skills and escape the onslaught of the darkness in Destiny to survive overwhelming odds and live another day. The pad is still a new feature for gamers transitioning over from PS3, and it will no doubt be something they aren’t ready for right away. But my advice is to use it as often as you can, and in no time it will become intuitive, just as it is on your or laptop or tablet.

 If you live most of your day on a laptop, tablet or touch screen, then you will soon appreciate the pad and its familiarity. Next-gen consoles are the future, and there’s no going back. The innovation in consoles has demanded innovation in controllers. Sony took the best of the PS3 controller and redesigned it, keeping in mind that technology moves forward whether we want it to or not. These new consoles are, from my point of view, basically console/PC hybrids. The old controllers would not deliver the seamless control needed.

There are a whole lot of PS4s out there now, and the numbers are growing rapidly. It’s time to play with the new toy.

Additional reading (external link): http://www.ps4playstation4.com/PS4-Controllers

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