PS4 News: Touchscreen Game Features Removed Due to Price, Functionality Before Release Date

Early on, the Dualshock 4 controller for the PlayStation 4 was going to have a touchscreen attached, but later designs of the controller dropped the feature in favor of a simpler touchpad. Now, Sony product planning manager Toshimasa Aoki has explained the reasoning behind the design change. 

In an interview with Venturebeat Aoki revealed that while designers wanted a touchscreen controller for the PlayStation 4, much like the Wii U Gamepad, the cost and distraction factor were enough to scrap the idea:

"A touchscreen was another idea that we had...We actually tested it, but [besides cost factors], our game teams felt like having to look down at the controller is not what they want to do. They want to have the consumers concentrated on the big picture that they show [on the TV]."

Sony ended up going through a huge number of prototype models of the Dualshock 4, and the company tried many different ideas to try and make the controller stand out and offer a truly next-gen experience.

"We tried out new devices, changing the form factor. We'd start from there and then try to talk to the game teams and tweak toward what the best form would be to have for those new devices. So we made, I don't know, more than 20 prototypes. Some had no buttons, just touch panels. Some were rounded. All this crazy stuff," said Aoki. 

The development team at Sony tapped a wide array of inspirations for the Dualshock 4, including the controller for the PlayStation 3's biggest rival, the Xbox 360:

"For the analog sticks, we did test having the analog sticks on top, since the Xbox has the left side on top [above the D-pad]. Especially from the shooter teams--we got feedback that that's what they wanted. They knew that consumers liked the 360 for shooters."

However, Sony managed to get what the company wanted from its next-gen controller with the Dualshock 4, and when the Wii U Gamepad was revealed, Aoki and his team were surprised at the similarities between the controller and the original Sony controller design:

"When Nintendo came out with that, we were like, 'Wow, that's just like our prototype!' That surprised us,"

Aoki was critical of the Wii U Gamepad, however, saying that the d-pad stick placement is a big flaw for the controller. It forces gamers to break their muscle memory in order to use it properly, he said.