IN FUTURE, GAMING HAS TO EMBRACE BROADER CUSTOMISATION OPTIONS FOR PLAYERS.
The DualShock 4 back button is a great step forward for playing how you want to play
When it comes to trying a new game, one of the hardest things to remember is how it controls. I’m sure we’ve all spent a few rounds of Fortnite fumbling to switch between shooting and building menus while a 14-year old child deftly does both at once, constructing a tomb around us.
PUSH MY BUTTONS
While things like the official Sony DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment help pro players step up their game, they also open up options to the less skilled. The back button’s easy to set up and understand – just plug it into the bottom of the controller you already have, and adjust what each button maps to on a screen. One of the most offputting aspects of gaming for the uninitiated is the number of buttons modern controllers have, so you might think adding two more to the back will only make that problem worse. But it doesn’t, because they’re fully customisable. They make it easier for players to press buttons without moving their fingers like a nervous pianist, afraid to hit the wrong gaming notes. Given the location of the wide back buttons, anyone holding the controller can quite easily press them in without moving their standard grip, whether they have big hands or small ones. You can jump without having to take your thumb off the joystick, or progress dialogue in a JRPG while moving around in town, still keeping one hand completely free. Thanks to the ease of customisation and with which you can switch between three profiles, it’s a breeze to play games your way.
What can the back button tell us about the future of gaming? Something we’re all increasingly aware of: that customising how players play is incredibly important.
While standardised control schemes have helped reduce confusion when switching between games, the option to remap controllers is a must for players with dexterity problems. Imagine a game not allowing you to invert the X or Y axis these days. Soon it’ll be commonplace for complete button remapping even on PlayStation, whether that’s at a system level, or games taking up that mantle.