We've heard all about the new PlayStation 4 controller's added features, but it was recently revealed that at least one feature has been removed.
On the PlayStation 2 and 3, the DualShock and Sixaxis controllers had pressure sensitive buttons, essentially offering multiple functions for each face button. In a series of exclusive articles on VentureBeat where the new PlayStation 4 controller is being broken down piece by piece, Sony revealed that the pressure sensitive nature of the X, square, triangle, and circle buttons has been removed.
Sony's manager of product planning, Toshimasa Aoki, told VentureBeat, “With the DualShock 3, we were able to get analog data, which games didn’t really use. For DualShock 4, we deleted that, and now it’s all digital. The mechanism inside is a little different, and the data that games get is different.”
Our Take
It's our expectation that new features will be added to new controllers on new consoles, so it's surprising to see features get removed. That being said, it was a function that very few developers took advantage of. There are more, but I personally only recall two scenarios where it was used in games. In Metal Gear solid 2, you could spray a wider and and stronger stream of the freezing material by pressing the button harder. Silent Hill 2 also had a stronger attack for a stronger button press. Both of those games released in 2001. It's a feature that I doubt many will miss, or even knew existed for that matter.
