Fake
Member
A new controller add-on for Dualshock 4 is out, rivalling the back button functionality of the Xbox One's Elite 'Series 2' controller. The cost is lower, and makes use of hardware you already own - but there are some stipulations that go with each. Will Judd and Tom Morgan discuss the pros and cons of each.
DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment review: small but perfectly formed
The Digital Foundry DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment review: a clever counter to the Microsoft's Elite Series 2 controller.
www.eurogamer.net
Microsoft's Elite Series 2 controller has been divisive. To its fans, the Elite is responsive, powerful and premium, the ultimate first-party controller, but its detractors can point to its high price and quality control issues to paint a different picture. That makes Sony's approach, almost diametrically opposite that of its rival, so refreshing. Rather than making an £160/$180 controller that only its most wealthy players can justify purchasing, Sony has created the £26/$30 Back Button Attachment, a snap-on device that adds the single most important feature of premium controllers - programmable rear buttons - to any standard DualShock 4 controller at an affordable price.
We've been testing it for the past week ahead of its launch on February 14th, and we think Sony's approach has considerable merit.
Before we get into how this add-on performs, let's tackle the central thesis of the Back Button Attachment: that these buttons are genuinely useful and worth the extra cost and weight. The idea here is to keep the most important controls under your fingers at all times, even the ones that are normally bound to inconvenient buttons like the d-pad, share/options or L3/R3.
Let's look at the physical side of things first. The Attachment's twin paddles are attached to a circular centre section, which contains an OLED screen, a 3.5mm passthrough port on the bottom and 3.5mm and data plugs on the opposite side. These plugs are mounted on a swivel, allowing the unit lock into place like a limpet on the bottom of the DualShock 4. Installing the Back Button Attachment takes a bit of doing the first time, but once you get the knack of inserting the tip of the 3.5mm plug and then pushing up to secure the unit, it takes only a couple of seconds to accomplish.
Programming comes next, and here the Back Button Attachment also excels. Flip the controller over, and you'll see that small circular OLED screen we mentioned earlier. Press and hold the screen to enter programming mode; you'll see the current profile (one to three) in the centre and the current bindings for each paddle on their respective sides. Each time you press the paddle with the screen engaged, it moves on to the next button assignment, looping through all possible options.
Will Judd
Senior Staff Writer, Digital Foundry
We have to conclude that Sony's Back Button Attachment is a worthy upgrade for DualShock 4 owners, whether you're playing on PlayStation, PC or elsewhere. The idea of providing the single most essential piece of a premium controller at a relatively low cost is a great one, and the sheer utility this adds to a wide range of games across multiple platforms is hard to overstate.
Our only major complaint is that the Back Button Attachment comes so late in the life cycle of the PlayStation 4, on the eve of the PlayStation 5. Of course, that in turn raises the exciting possibility that Sony will include similar functionality in its next-gen console.
Last edited: