If yours are, then you might prefer it, but I usually use controllers for third-person action games like Lords of the Fallen where I largely ignore the D-pad.
To me, it feels like the DS4 was designed as if the thumbs will most commonly be on the D-pad and face buttons. I find it awkward.Īs I mentioned, I prefer the Xbox One controller’s offset analog sticks. Those with smaller hands will probably find it more comfortable, though. The bonus of that loose grip is that my palms, and their sweat, stay off the controller. If I grip it with my palms fully touching the handles, which is my preference, the triggers hit the middle of my fingers and my thumbs land near the top of the controller, so that doesn't work. The DualShock 4 is smaller than the Xbox One controller (Update: more accurately, it feels smaller, because it is wider, but not as tall), and I have to hold it loosely and arch my index fingers to press the triggers and bumpers with their tips. Have you tried that with the Xbox controller? Sad." Plus, you can reach the menu button without moving your hands around. The shape also makes all the buttons easily accessible, particularly the bumpers, which are awkward to reach on the Xbox controller but in just the right place on the DS4. The joysticks' raised centers create a larger surface area and more space for me to grip, which gives a better sense of control. "While the Xbox One controller has its upsides (and you gotta love the click of the face buttons), the DS4 is just a nicer fit. I don't have the world's only hands, so I asked GamesRadar's Ashley Reed, who prefers the DS4, to offer her opinion: It's not officially supported, so if you run into problems, the only help is the community. That said, I more often see people reporting problems with it in troubleshooting forums than I do for 360 or Xbone controllers. The DS4 should work with any game an Xbox 360 controller works with, which is to say, practically any game with controller support. It can also be used wirelessly via Bluetooth, giving it even more points as Microsoft isn't releasing a wireless Xbone controller dongle-at least, we haven't heard plans for one yet.
I can mess with the analog stick sensitivity, make the LED glow PC Gamer red or cycle through the rainbow, and use the trackpad as a mouse (not a very good one, but still). I love customization, so I give the DS4 (and the creators of DS4Windows, of course) a lot of points for it. It should detect the controller, and now you can leave it alone (the default profile is fine), or you can create a new profile and play with the button mappings, axis tuning, and even adjust the LED colors.
After that, plug in the controller (also a micro-USB cable), let Windows detect it as a USB input device, and run the software.
To get it working, all you should need to do is download and install the latest version of DS4Windows (Update: commenter Asami recommends this version, and at a glance, it does look better) which will detect prerequisites and install any that are missing, followed by the software. The DualShock 4 sells for around $60/£40-possibly a few bucks less depending on the retailer. Ryse: Son of Rome, Lords of the Fallen, Ultra Street Fighter IV) and thus use the Xbox’s ABXY button prompts. It also helps its case that recent multi-platform games I’ve played are based on the Xbox 360 or Xbox One version (e.g. The Xbone controller is well-made, and I like it more than the Xbox 360 controller.
I do wonder why they're so small, but it's not a huge deal, as my thumbs rest in their bowls nicely and they feel sturdy. I like the analog sticks as well: they move smoothly, and firmly snap back to center when released. The D-pad is also clicky, which is much better than that spongy Xbox 360 D-pad. The trigger buttons are nice and springy (a little bit mushy-feeling), while the bumpers have a satisfying click. The matte black plastic is lightly textured and feels nice, though sweat does cling to it. The rest of this reiterates what we've said in our review: it's a good controller.