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Adapter brings your own wireless gamepads to the NES
Wireless gamepads for the NES are nothing new (just ask anyone who bought an Akklaim Double Player), but what if you had your pick of controllers? Analogue and 8Bitdo want to make that happen. Their newly launched Retro Receiver lets you use a host of wire-free gamepads with Nintendo's classic console. You'll get the most authentic-feeling experience if you use one of 8Bitdo's peripherals, but the real party trick comes when you bring modern controllers into the fray -- you can use a Wii remote, a Wii U Pro Controller or even Sony's DualShock 3 or 4. Retro Receiver sells for $20, so it might be worth a go if you're determined to play some old-school Legend of Zelda without stringing an original controller across the room.
Sony made a custom PS4 controller for a gamer with cerebral palsy
It's tough to use gadgets when you have cerebral palsy -- few of their interfaces take the movement disorder into account. However, a Sony staffer went the extra mile to make sure this wasn't a problem for one gamer. When Peter Byrne wrote Sony complaining that the DualShock 4's touchpad was difficult to use with his cerebral palsy (he'd inadvertently hit the pad and pause the game), the company's Alex Nawabi made him a custom version of the official PS4 gamepad. The modified controller, which took 10 hours to make, disables the touchpad and uses another button to fulfill that role.
Your PS4 is screaming out for some color (and a gold DualShock 4)
Admit it: these new DualShock 4s and color plates for your PS4 are going to make that living room obelisk pop.
Sony's retrotastic 20th Anniversary PS4 controller lands in the UK
So, you didn't manage to get your hands on a 20th Anniversary Edition PlayStation 4, just like everyone else. Well, nevermind, as you can now have the next best thing. Sony has today released the Anniversary Edition DualShock 4 controller in the UK (and the rest of Europe), with its retro gray colour scheme and home button sporting the original PlayStation logo. Unfortunately, this model's lacking the engraved touchpad found on those shipped with the limited edition console, but it's close enough. The nostalgic pad can now be found at stores including GAME and Amazon for £50, which is probably more than you'd spend picking up an OG PS1 and a copy of Crash Team Racing on eBay -- not that we should be telling you which is the better purchase, of course.
Sony debuts new DualShock 4 hues, colorful hard drive covers
If you already own a PlayStation 4 but want to add a little bit more flair to your console, Sony's Tokyo Game Show press conference has delivered some good news. First up are new hard drive panels, which let you add a touch of colour to your console with a variety of yellow, gold, pink, yellow, light blue, red and purple plates. Sony introduced us to the idea of swappable faces when it debuted its Project Skylight beta back in December 2014, but its latest accessories focus on solid colors more than game tie-ins.
A look at the evolution of modern video game controllers
If anything's kept pace with how video games have changed over the years, it's how we interact with them. Our biggest touchpoint with virtual worlds is the gamepad and -- akin to how games themselves have evolved from simple 2D affairs into 100-hour-long labyrinths in three dimensions -- controllers have changed to accommodate that. What you'll find in the gallery below is a comprehensive look at gamepads from the past 30-plus years of gaming, including high points and missteps alike. [Image: Adafruit Industries/Flickr]
20th Anniversary PS4 controller and headset bring back PSX colors
PlayStation fans who have been with Sony's system since the beginning can pledge their allegiance with a pair of new PS4 accessories. Designed to commemorate the original PlayStation's 20th anniversary, this DualShock 4 and Gold Wireless rock the familiar two-tone gray color scheme with its distinctive PlayStation logo. They'll arrive in the US for $65 and $99 (respectively) this September. The controller is coming to Europe and Asia too, but there's no word on the headphones.
All of the Lights: Many curious uses for the PS4 light bar
Sony is no stranger to idiosyncratic hardware design. Nintendo and Sega put analog sticks on their controllers in the '90s? Sony adds on an extra stick and redefines console controllers. Touch screens are de rigueur? Sony slaps a touch surface on the front and back of PS Vita. The PlayStation 4 is a sleek piece of modern consumer tech design, but even it's got its quirks. Case in point: the Dualshock 4 light bar. Every PS4 controller looks like KITT from Knight Rider, with a giant oblate spheroid of light pulsing on the front. Not just good for running down the battery, the light bar actually performs some unusual functions in a variety of games. Below the break is a taster's choice selection of memorable light bar uses from the PlayStation 4's first year of games. After browsing that, take our poll and discuss the light bar's career in the comments. What do you think of the Dualshock 4 light bar? [Images: Sony]
Nyko is ready to give your PS4 controller the battery life it deserves
Although the PlayStation 4 is a fine gaming console, it has a definite Achilles' heel -- the very, very short battery life of the bundled DualShock 4 controller. It's a good thing, then, that Nyko has at last shipped the PowerPak add-on that it promised back in January. Shelling out $20 gives you a 1,000mAh lithium-ion battery that roughly doubles the longevity of Sony's official gamepad. That's not saying much when the DualShock normally gets just a few hours of play time per charge, but the extra capacity should be good enough to handle a marathon Destiny session.
The PS4's gamepad now works wirelessly with your PS3
If you've wanted to use the PlayStation 4's (arguably superior) DualShock 4 controller with a PS3, you've so far had to plug it in; that's not easy if your couch and TV are at opposite ends of the living room. It's a good thing, then, that Sony has quietly enabled wireless support for the newer DualShock through its latest PS3 firmware update. It's still treated as a generic controller without motion or vibration, and game compatibility is somewhat spotty, but it's now relatively safe to ditch the USB cable while playing. You can check out Reddit's instructions for pairing the gamepad with your PS3 at the source link, and here's hoping that it eventually gets first-class treatment.
Sony's PlayStation 4 ships in white this September, comes with 'Destiny' and 500GB for $450
Not only did Sony just announce that the beta of Bungie's next title, Destiny, is coming as a beta next month, but it also let the cat out of the bag that you'll be able to get the game bundled with a "glacier white" PlayStation 4 on September 9th. The new-hued console will come with 500GB of storage and a free 30-day membership to PlayStation Plus. Accompanying peripherals include a matching controller and stand available for purchase separately, and a grey/white "urban camouflage" DualShock 4. The cost for the bundle pack? A tidy $450/€439, while Europeans can pick up the system solo for €399. Follow our liveblog at Sony's E3 2014 conference for the latest updates!
Old console, new tricks: Getting the most out of your PS3
Already paid up for Sony's PlayStation 4? Or are you waiting on a certain blockbuster title before you make the move to the next gen? We don't blame you. However, the PS4's ancestor -- that slightly curved obelisk sitting under your TV, the one with half an inch of dust -- still has a few tricks in it. While we wait for Sony to perfect its streaming tech, there's still no way to play PS3 titles on Console No. 4, unless it gets a fancy facelift... and you buy it again. So, we turn back to our faithful PlayStation 3. Born in 2006, eight years is a pretty good term for a games console. But maybe you don't want your time with it to be over. We don't either, and have found a few ways to breathe new life into your gradually graying PS3.
Sony built the PlayStation 4's controller with VR in mind
You may think that Sony built its Project Morpheus virtual reality headset to accommodate the PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller, but it turns out that the opposite is true -- the gamepad was designed for VR from the start. The company's Jed Ashforth tells TechRadar that the Morpheus team insisted on building the always-on (and occasionally irksome) light bar into the DualShock for its purposes, and had to remain silent about its real objectives until the VR helmet's unveiling this March. The move isn't completely surprising given Sony's tendency to use PlayStations as technology launching pads -- see the PS3's Blu-ray drive as an example. Still, it's good to know that the controller was designed for much, much more than motion-based experiences like The Playroom.
Future DualShock 4 update for PlayStation 4 will add option to dim light bar (updated!)
It may seem like minor news, especially considering the hoopla over Sony's Virtual Reality this week at GDC, but the PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller is about to get a firmware fix. In an interview with Geoff Keighley of Spike TV, Shuhei Yoshida, Sony PlayStation's head of Worldwide Studios, confirmed that a future firmware update (we're not sure if it's console- or controller-specific like on Xbox One) will give gamers the option to turn off dim the controller's light bar. If you own a PS4, then you know just how preciously short-lived the DualShock 4's battery life can be. The ability to muffle that glaring light should help extend the DS4's longevity, but only slightly. Still, it's a major boon for the community, and those of us that like our controllers to be less of a night light and more of a gamepad. Update: Yoshida clarified on Twitter that the firmware update will only dim the DualShock 4's light bar, not disable it entirely.
Nyko unveils Qi wireless charging dock, Intercooler for PS4 and a DualShock 4 controller extended battery (update: prices)
It's CES time, folks, and that means that Nyko's got a slew of gaming peripherals to show us all. Naturally, next-gen is the order of the day, with the reveal of an Intercooler device that attaches to the rear of your PlayStation 4 to keep it cool. Nyko's also rolling out a PowerPak replacement battery for Sony's DualShock 4 controller that doubles up the standard battery pack with a 1,000mAh cell. Additionally, and perhaps puzzlingly, the company is also announcing a Qi wireless charging dock, called the Power Base, built to fit Samsung Galaxy S 4 and Nexus 5 handsets. You can get a glimpse at pictures of all the products in the gallery below, but alas, renders are all we can give you for now -- the real products, prices and arrival dates won't be available until long after CES 2014 is over. Update: Nyko just relased pricing for all its new gear: the Power Base is $40, Intercooler is $25, and the PowerPak is $20, and all three can be had this spring.
Evil Controllers goes next-gen with PS4 and Xbox One gamepads, custom controllers en route
If you still have money to burn after buying a PlayStation 4, an Xbox One (or both!) and games for each, Evil Controllers wants to help with that. The company's been churning out user-customized Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 controllers for awhile, but now it's added the DualShock 4 and the Xbox One controller to the mix. For now, the outfit is offering a handful of pre-made designs, but an updated version of its controller creator webapp will be live soon. Aside from some cosmetic flair, the jazzed up products use all original hardware, ensuring you get the factory-made experience. What's more, the controllers' arresting designs should help them stand out from your couch cushions. If you thought the vanilla gamepads were pricey at $60, however, you might want to avert your eyes -- these start at $85.
Sony mulled an all-touch PS4 controller before settling on the DualShock 4
The PlayStation 4's DualShock 4 controller may seem like the logical evolution of Sony's gamepad design, but we now know that it wasn't always destined to be that way. Product manager Toshimasa Aoki tells VentureBeat that the company threw out all the rules during the early design phase, and had tested both all-touchscreen gamepads as well as one where a touchpad could move to different locations. The PlayStation team had also considered abandoning its signature bottom-mounted analog sticks in favor of moving them up top, much like Nintendo's Wii U Pro Controller. However, feedback pushed Sony to a more conservative layout -- many early PS4 game developers were worried that a new control scheme would break their software design. While it's unfortunate that Sony had to restrain its creative impulses, we suspect that many gamers are happy with the end result.
48 hours with the PlayStation 4: gaming and first impressions
The PlayStation 4 is fast. The DualShock 4 is the best gamepad Sony's ever created. In 48 hours spent using the PS4 without its extremely comprehensive Day One patch, there are only so many feelings to feel about Sony's latest game console. We are in such a position this morning, having spent the past two days locked away in Engadget's Brooklyn office kicking The Playroom's AR bots around and shooting Helghast with the new DualShock 4. For reviewers, the 1.50 PS4 firmware patch went live last night around 7PM ET (at least for us in NYC). As such, we're planning a comprehensive review of the post-update console ahead of this Friday's launch. Stay tuned! What you'll find below, however, are our impressions of the PlayStation 4's most important feature: its ability to play games.
This is Sony's PlayStation 4 before the Day One patch
There's a funny thing about the next generation of consoles: They're all pretty much just dedicated game boxes at launch waiting for a Day One system patch. Sony's PlayStation 4 is no exception to this unspoken rule, which makes reviewing the console tricky business. If you're looking for first impressions on gaming, we have a post about that right here, and we'll have a full judgment of the angular console in our full, post-patch review later this week. For now though, wouldn't you like to know what lurks within the offline PS4's Dynamic Menu -- you know, that thing that replaced the XMB? It's admittedly minutiae, but it's all stuff you'll want to know when you first unbox and boot up the patchless PS4.
Dualshock 4 and PlayStation Eye shipping weeks ahead of PS4 launch
November 15th is still a ways off, but if you pre-ordered accessories along with your PlayStation 4 you could get a taste of the future right now. NeoGAF's ever-vigilant community noticed that some who've pre-ordered peripherals at Amazon and GameStop are already playing with the DualShock 4 controller and PlayStation 4 camera, posting their spoils to YouTube. While you can't do much with either yet, at least PS3 owners can use the new controller with certain games -- the familiarity might give them a leg up in Killzone Shadow Fall come launch day.
