Recently Target listed a controller for the PlayStation 4 that might look eerily similar to the massively popular Elite Xbox One controller that was launched by Microsoft in 2015. The controller, which is designed by a third party OEM, copies the entire design of the Elite controller and shoehorns it into the unusable PlayStation 4 controller design.
Even though this isn’t anything new in the world of electronics, with copies appearing everywhere these days; it’s quite embarrassing, to say the least for Sony. When the Elite controller launched, everyone and their mother described it as an ‘unnecessary and expensive monster’ that nobody asked for. Fast forward a year and Microsoft have had a hard time keeping up with demand, and the same detractors have been calling for an Elite controller for the PlayStation 4; which have until now primarily been stuck with the universally disliked DualShock 4 controller.
I wouldn’t put it past Sony that they would end up using this design choice for their Elite controller when it launches. The rumour mill has been churning away expecting one from Sony for a while now; and with the PlayStation Neo making its deluded launch within the next few weeks, it stands to reason that Sony would attempt to counter the amazing flexibility of the Elite.
Unfortunately for Sony, though, even the Elite PlayStation 4 controller looks to be quite uncomfortable to use, and Sony will have to go back to the drawing board to ensure that they don’t give the Call of Duty campers carpal tunnel syndrome; and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is launching pretty soon.
The Elite PlayStation 4 controller just shows the gaming world how disconnected Sony really is, disregarding calls from gamers for things they desperately need; instead focusing on Pokémon Go and trying to imitate a game that by all metrics is already over. Sony doesn’t have a problem with misleading consumers until they win; they have a creativity problem.
The PlayStation 4 Slim and PlayStation 4 Neo is proof of that.
Dreyer was a regular ICXM contributor between 2016–2017, publishing 139 articles across opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative. They post on X as @dreyer_smit.