Killzone: Shadow Fall devs rejected touch-sensitive DualShock 4 prototype

Killzone: Shadow Fall developer Guerrilla Games has discussed its role in helping Sony create the PS4's new DualShock 4 controller with VG247. It was - at one point - touch sensitive, but the team didn't like it.

As part of an interview you can read here on VG247 next week, Killzone: Shadow Fall lead designer Eric Boltjes touched on the studio's involvement with Sony in conceptualising PS4 alongside system architect Mark Cerny.

On the DualShock 4 he told me, "One of the things we wanted to improve upon was the controllers. I personally feel that in previous Killzones, the DualShock was always good, but when you looked at other controllers they had an edge. We really worked together with Mark from Sony on improving the controller. For example, the triggers. We wanted better triggers. They previously reverted inwards where, in a shooter game, that's not very good. Your fingers slip off.

"We really pushed them to make better triggers that go up. Also stuff like the touch-pad. When I first saw it on the prototype controller I was like, 'What the hell am I supposed to do with that? It's not an iPhone game.' But I'm really surprised as to how well that little thing works. I'm not promoting it, I don't have to sell that controller, but I'm really happy with how it works in our game. Everything else works now, from response time, the dead-zones, everything is better. The lag is gone, and that makes Killzone a better game."

He added, "When developing PS4 and our game as well, we held a lot of prototypes, and we played around with them as well. In one, they had replaced all of the buttons were touch-sensitive. We just said, 'No'."

I'm glad they put their foot down, as the DualShock 4 is a responsive, tactile improvement over the PS3 pad.

Have you held DualShock 4 yet? If so, what did you think?

The full article drops Monday. Stay tuned.