PS4 Controller Touchpad?

I am curious to know what you can actually do with the PS4 controller touchpad. I haven't head many things about it. Does anyone know?

for the moment I only used it with AC4, you click it and the map appears, it seems strange to me for games where you actually slide your finger on it you may accidentally click and do something else

In Killzone you can use it to direct your drone to attack and other abilities. When you press it in bf4, it brings up the battlelog. So far that's the only times I used it.

The way its used in Killzone SF seems a bit lazy to me. But then again it'll probably be used better in future games. At the very least designers should use it to navigate maps kind of like a tablet or smartphone touchscreen (scroll, zoom in, zoom out, etc.).

Trine 2 uses it. It is surprisingly sensitive. Consider it like a one to one touchpad. Of course with it's placement on the controller it's really freaking awkward to try to use it for anything complex (one of Trine's characters uses it to summon boxes by drawing a square, but it's so sensitive it's damn near impossible to get one dropped where you want it).

Only used it for AC4 to bring up the map, though you can use it to move the cursor on the map as well i found the sensitivity doing that weird, so still used the analog stick after bringing up the map to move the cursor around.

I'm sure there will be some good uses for it in future games.

In NBA 2k14 you swipe left or right to perform a quick play.

It has a button under it, just like the face buttons, so you need to apply force to it in the same way as a face button, so the chance of doing it unintentionally is not that high, luckily.

That's how it works in ACIV: Black Flag :)

In Killzone campaign use swipe in different directions to use certain abilities. In Trine 2 you can move it t use magic. AC 4 is map navigation.

I don't use it in AC4... it's too sensitive and I get things accomplished much better with the analogs.

It's used on KZ SF to select different things your bot does.

Touch pad is looking like a sixaxis repeat.

Yep, another gimmick confirmed. It's a toss up between that and the stupid speaker as to which is the more useless, but I think the speaker wins. Throw in the stupid controller light and we have a trifecta of uselessness.

Let's just wait and see how developers use it shall we? Don't judge it on launch titles alone (many of which are cross-gen no less).

how is a touchpad useless :S how is it a gimmick, it's a proven aspect of a laptop, in the end the touchpad could be used to navigate the UI more fluidly or on the web browser it's all a good thing for the map, it's used really well in AC4, it add's another few buttons for things, it could also bring games from the pc which are played with the mouse as the primary ability to move around.

but i agree the speaker is a strange one, i don't see any benefit at all.

Exactly. A laptop not a gaming controller. It's like Sony added it just so they could make themselves seem innovative. I really fail to see any purpose for it that will actually make the controller better.

If it does infact make the gaming experience better then I will support it totally, but at the minute all I see it as is another useless gimmick with very little to offer for better gameplay.

Maybe I am being harsh but I am just sick of these idiots fucking up perfectly fine controllers with the addition of stupid gimmicks that aren't even supported by developers, but merely tacked into games to keep the console makers happy. The fact that these things aren't supported by developers goes to show just how useless and gimmicky they really are.

But it IS supported, like stated already... and it's been like a month since launch, let's wait and see what developers do.

It sounds like you just bitch for the sake of bitching, and really it's such a non issue because it doesn't destroy anything at all, it just opens up more possibilities... just look at aciv, you don't even have to use it! but for those of us that use something like google maps, it's great and it works much the same way. It's also great in killzone and i like how it's used in no intrusive way what so ever. And even though i think war thunder is pretty bad, it's great to use the touchpad for a mouse, so i'm hoping they implement that for the browser and swiping the menu etc., the small things! I like it! You should have more of an open mind about these things really :)

I would of preferred if they just put a start and select button there instead. Touchpad seems some what useless so far. Only used it on AC4's map, it very sensitive but not as accurate as the analog stick.

I have an open mind, just not a fan of gimmicks. And if you really wanna hear me bitch, just ask me about the POS DS4 that came with my launch day console, that I just returned for a replacement after the L1 button became non responsive and would continually stick to the point I couldn't play a game with it.

They should spend more time on build quality rather than gimmicks. ;)

it takes nothing away from any gameplay mechanics or buttons it actually adds an extra button than having the middle of the pad just home to start and select, why you bothered when it doesn't effect anything it adds a function gimmick or not, if it was a gimmick and effected things then you have an arguement but as it does not then there is no arguement.

plus the touchpad will bring mobile games to the console to as it's a similar concept, AC4 uses it greatly by giving you a nice way of using the map. so many simple possibilities it's a nice feature, it doesn't have to add anything to gameplay for it not to be a gimmick

i'm sorry your controller broke but mine hasn't and i've used it constantly.

No it's not, it's twitchy and unresponsive

Overall it's a big button

I find that it can be useful, all 3 components that are being added, the light, speaker and touchpad. At least its implemented on killzone. I see potential for the touchpad to do many different things, but then again how many games is going to implement it? likely just exclusive titles. The speaker is alright, when you pickup audiologs it uses that controller speaker. And lastly the light in killzone tells u of your health, but its shown outwards, you won't notice it, then again you don't want the glare straight in your eyes.

I think the new implementation does add a certain amount of immersion, my grip if any is the added costs to make the controllers. Perhaps Sony could come up with another controller being less flashy and at a lesser price.

Cry more people. The light bar, camera, speaker, and touchpad are just optional features; developers don't have to use them. It's the same thing Nintendo did when they made the Wii U Gamepad.