Images of what is claimed to be the PlayStation 4 controller have surfaced online, giving us a glimpse at how the popular DualShock gamepad may evolve for the next-gen console.
The controller appears plugged in to a rather large and industrially built silver box, which is thought to be a PS4 developer kit that game makers are currently using to test software and new games with ahead of the console’s public launch.
As has been rumoured plenty, the controller appears to feature some sort of touchpad in the centre, just above the classic dual analog sticks. Just above that is a clear panel that’s lit up blue, which is said to be a motion sensor that will allow the controllers to be used in much the same way as PlayStation Move currently works on the PS3.
The controller looks much the same as the current PS3 DualShock in terms of layout, although the start and select buttons have disappeared, being replaced by what looks to be a speaker grille and that touchpad.
As for where the start and select buttons have gone – it’s thought that Sony will do away with them and replaced them with a touchpad for performing these actions. The PS button looks to still be there, just below the touchpad. A recent report also suggests that Sony will introduce a new share button to the touchpad, which will link up with new screenshot and video capture systems to allow gamers to send friends small snippets of in-game footage.
Games website Kotaku claims that the image is real, although it notes that the controller in the picture may not be the final design. As it’s being used with a developer console in the picture, it could be a prototype controller to work with the early console build.
Sony will host a PlayStation themed event on February 20th, where we’re expecting – and hoping – to see the first glimpse of the PlayStation 4.