If it's a touchpad then it will be good for navigation but probably not very useful for games--which is actually fine with me. I don't want it to be a gimmick that is shoehorned into games before it's forgotten about. However, for OS/store/web navigation, it should be nifty.

That's just off-hand speculation, though. I'm not really going to worry about it much until the reveal.

This touchpad, touchscreen dispute makes me remember Jim Sterlings rage article about how Sony was blatantly copying the DS because the NGP was going to have "two touchscreens". Ah, that was fun.

Is a Vita style pad useful? I haven't used one.

I hope it is a touch pad. The Vita is more than capable of being the PS4's premium touchscreen controller, but having the dedicated controller have a touch pad will allow the system's interface to utilize touch for navigation just like a laptop. This could really expand the function of a home console and truly make it more of a proprietary(most likely) computer.

I'm not a big fan of touch pads on laptops, and I don't think I'd like it on PS4 either. I'd rather just navigate with an analog stick. I would, however, like a small touch screen. It could enhance games and navigating menues.

Nintendo isn't Sony's only competition guys.

They are copying Ouya. By having a touch pad the PS4 can run Android apps and do everything Ouya can do effectively killing casual TV gaming's chances of stealing market share. People were always planning on buying Ouya and the like in addition to a next gen console, now they don't have to. It's pretty ingenious if you ask me.

actually tge front makes sense. You could use it to trace out letters quickly, make fine movements for things like sniping, use it for broadbroad stroke movements like crouching, or gun options or grenade trajectories .

it has a lot of good reasons to be on the front. Trackpad for navigatibg a keyboard for instance while uploading your "share" screenshots.m

I stopped reading after the first sentence. It won't have a touchscreen, it will have a TOUCH PAD. There is a huge difference and the rest of your post isn't worth reading if you don't' understand this.

I've been saying that displays on controllers would become an industry standard ever since Project Cafe was launched, so I wouldn't be surprised if Sony opted to put some sort of touch display on their next controller. It's not gonna be called Dualshock 4, though. They'll probably reserve that name for their traditional controllers.

Also, what the hell good would a touchpad do on the back of a controller? Besides completely destroying the ergonomic feel to make room for that utterly worthless function, that is. This isn't the flat, pocketable Vita. Just look at the back of the DS3 and tell me how a touchpad could fit back there.

And here's a picture of the Wii U gamepad for good measure.

It's okay for the Vita to have a touchpad on the back because it's flat, and the only reason it's even viable then is because it has no shoulder buttons, and there's screen on the front for enhanced interaction in games like Little Deviants and Tearaway. Console controllers should be comfortable to hold for long periods of time, and I just don't see how the touchpad idea is consistant with design.

The touchpad is rumored to be IN FRONT of the controller replacing the Start/Select/PS Button space.

Ah, I see. Silly me. Heh. Still seems kinda worthless for gaming, but at least it would make interface/web browsing a bit smoother.