Is This The PS4 Controller?

ps4 dev kit

According to Destructoid, this image has been floating around the internet today, although it appears to originate from their site. It’s impossible to say whether it’s the real thing or not, but chances are it’s either a sneaky photo of a PS4 dev kit (and controller) or an elaborate mock-up based on rumours.

Either way, that looks like a central touch pad, tweaked analog controllers and a coloured strip on the top, likely to be the Move strip that has also been rumoured recently. It also looks like it’s using a d-pad from a Vita, which is a good thing.

That thing in the back that looks like it’s from the 70s? Probably a development kit, the machine that developers are using to build their PS4 games – presumably the same innards as a real PS4 but obviously in a very different outer box. It looks like the controller has a tiny button near the touch pad – is that the (also rumoured) ‘Share’ button?

You can also see the cameras on the dev kit in the background.

So what’s new? In order, then, top row left to right are: a USB 3 port (it says 2 but that just means the second port); one of two cameras on the dev kit (but are likely to be mounted on a Kinect-like array); the ‘share’ or ‘option’ button and finally the PS button and what appears to be a speaker grill.

Bottom row is the touch pad; the Move strip (that’ll presumably change colour depending on the surroundings, like the Move stick); a redesigned analog stick (the d pad is also new and looks just like the one on the Vita) and finally what looks like a headphone jack underneath the PS button.

Note that – even if this is real (as Kotaku seem to think) – it’s still technically a prototype and the final design may well be totally different. Sony are expected to reveal the PS4 next week in New York, so we’ll likely find out for sure then.

Via Destructoid, via GAF.

73 Comments

  1. Yes

  2. Quite clunky, but probably a real prototype.

  3. That is not a pretty piece of kit. Let’s hope it gets refined.

    • Quite clearly it will. It’s enough for developers to develop with, whilst the product units are designed.

  4. Looks interesting, nice and simple, hopefully it is a prototype as it’d be nice to see it looking a bit more sleek.

  5. That is ugly I mean really, I don’t like it, they best put the six axis controller in the box too

  6. I hope not. Looks horrible. It looks like a third party PS3 controller you would expect to find in Game. Hopefully just a prototype.

    • Also. If that’s a dev kit PS4. Anyone else notice the USB 3.0? Would be nice to see it becoming used more commonly.

      • Matches all the rumours.

        It’s clearly a prototype – the finished version will be much slicker.

      • Yeah, it does look like a prototype. Some interesting features in it. Looks like it has a speaker on the front, not entirely sure what it would be used for though. Unless it’s a mic for voice input?

      • Also has eight leds at the front.. one for each core?

      • Probably a mic and speaker array, yeah.

      • Oh yeah, 8 LEDs. And USB 3?

    • Certainly looks like USB 3.0. Not sure what the 8 LEDs are for. Possibly for each core like Tuffcub said.

      • Yeah I see what you mean, I can see the blue read strip on the port just about. Should be good external HDDs providing they do use it.

      • more likely the leds are there to show how many controllers are connected, like the xbox?

  7. Yeah, that looks pretty ugly, but it’s similar to what i’ve been imagining based on the rumours.

  8. What could you use that small of a touch screen for?

    • Virtual keyboard perhaps, would be handy if it does because i can’t see my clip-on keyboard fitting that controller. :)

  9. that is one ugly controller, I hope it looks nothing like that. Those sticks look horrendously awkward to play on.

  10. Looks nice.

    • except those horrible analogues, keep them how they are.

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