Few, very few people could have imagined that, with a generation approaching its closure, Sony would launch an ordago on the air with the announcement of an accessory for its DualShock 4. The PlayStation 4 quintessential command is about to receive an accessory designed to give you greater versatility and, above all, to end the "claw posture" when playing certain video games. Yes, Miyazaki, I'm looking at you.
Of official name “Accessory with back button”, we have been able to play for a few weeks with this complement for our command and scrutinize all the positive and negative of your proposal to see if it really is worth it or not. In an area where Microsoft seemed to have the keys to undisputed leadership with its Elite branch, Can Sony give the surprise with this accessory for the control of its current console? We tell you.
Accessory with back button for the PlayStation 4 controller, is it worth it?
Before launching fully to answer that question, we will explain what is it mainly about. As you can see in the photographs that accompany this review, this accessory for the DualShock 4 has a fairly small size, with a design that is distributed in three main parts: a central button with OLED screen and two cams on the sides that act as buttons.
Simple structure for an appliance that is designed to be used without seeing it directly, and is that it is placed on the bottom-back of the pad, attaching to it as if it were a small extra layer designed to add two additional buttons. A simple peripheral that does not cause any discomfort and that, incidentally, has a fairly nice and solid touch. It doesn't bother, nor is it hard to take advantage of. It connects quickly and easily, and is used completely intuitively.
Easy to connect, easy to use
The first thing that catches the attention of this peripheral is its placement. Connects directly to the EXT port of DualShock 4 at the bottom, coupled to it (no need to worry about the 3.5 mm jack, since the accessory itself includes a plug so you can continue connecting the headphones). For this, it is possible that a little effort has to be made, which, I must confess, gave me some fear the first time because of the possibility of breaking it. Nothing is further from reality, it enters perfectly and is hard as a rock.
In addition to that, it should also be noted that its connector can move to make the coupling easier, which helps greatly when placing it and inserting it in the corresponding slot. Given its design, it is also designed to fit in a single way, and we assure you that it is not possible to "turn the tortilla" and place it wrong. In that sense, the design is very successful and perfectly planned.
From that moment on, you just have to turn on the console and activate the control so that this button starts working. You do not need any additional software, nor any other complementary configuration, except for the button assignment that I am going to talk about now. You take it out of the box, connect it and you can start using it. Plug & Play manual, and thank you.
How are the buttons configured?
We have said that, in total, there are three buttons that you have This peripheral. The control panel is the one used to choose / modify the game profile, out of a total of 3 available, and the sides are the ones used to make real buttons, being able to replace others in the control.
Setup is easy also, although it requires stopping, turn around and stop to see what is the best combination for each case. The central button with the OLED panel is the one that commands here, and the one we use to see the chosen profile and the corresponding buttons, working as follows:
- Two consecutive presses: profile change.
- Long press: modification of the selected profile.
When the modification is activated, any of the other two side buttons must be pressed to, through a sequential menu, choose what you want to assign
We have chosen a random combination, but the truth is that this add-on lets you configure virtually any button on the traditional remote. Although there are two exceptions, and that is you cannot configure the “Share” button or the PlayStation button, nor the equivalent of press the touch panel of the remote. Three limitations that certainly make no sense, since everything else can be configured.
User experience
Given the placement and configuration, two aspects in which it meets quite well for the simplicity with which its design has focused, we will now address the true crux of the matter: user experience.
The truth is that in these weeks, it has gone from being something complementary and optional to becoming an inseparable ally of our command, to the point that he has not disconnected from him again. We have three profiles already configured differently for games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or the aforementioned Kingdom Hearts III, and the mobility and agility offered by having those two extra buttons is really interesting.
Browse menus without having to make Sora stop during a fight, or even run with Sekiro without changing the layout of our right hand to run, jump and fight more freely. These are the cases in which we have most noticed, and those that have made us have the back button accessory as a fundamental ally.
We like its design because of how well it integrates with the remote, since it neither breaks with its aesthetics nor hinders its habitual use, but quite the opposite. We also like the touch it has and how the cams that make buttons are attached to the back, while clicking every time you press them. In that sense, it complies perfectly and shows that The utility of the DualShock 4 button accessory is at the same height as its design.
So, is the DualShock 4 Back Button Accessory worth it?
We can no longer think about playing without him on our PlayStation 4, so we could say that worth the accessory with rear button of the PS4 controller. However, we have some "buts" that we cannot leave in the inkwell, because it would be unfair not to mention them.
The first is that it has a price that seems high to us for its real utility, and this complement “only” adds two more buttons to the command, buttons that are also a mapping of those already existing in the pad. The second, and most important, is that it does not allow you to configure more than one simultaneous button for your buttons, don't let macros. You cannot make one of its buttons equal one combination of others, and that would have been as interesting or more interesting than its main function.
All in all, this accessory will be available February 14 for anyone who wants to have extra comfort when playing with their PS4. It is easy to handle, it is very easy to place and its configuration is really simple. It is a pity that it does not deepen for those who seek something more complete and demanding; But, as an approach for players who just want an extra help, it's pretty good. Of course, a decrease in price, however small, would make it almost indispensable.
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