Games

Razer and Nacon bring eSport expertise to new PS4 controllers

Razer and Nacon bring eSport expertise to new PS4 controllers
Sony has unveiled two new third-party PS4 controllers: the Razer Raiju, left, and the Nacon Revolution
Sony has unveiled two new third-party PS4 controllers: the Razer Raiju, left, and the Nacon Revolution
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Sony has unveiled two new third-party PS4 controllers: the Razer Raiju, left, and the Nacon Revolution
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Sony has unveiled two new third-party PS4 controllers: the Razer Raiju, left, and the Nacon Revolution
The Razer Raiju adds a control panel along the bottom of the controller, which allows users to customize and switch between profiles, adjust headset volume and mute their microphone
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The Razer Raiju adds a control panel along the bottom of the controller, which allows users to customize and switch between profiles, adjust headset volume and mute their microphone
On the back of the Nacon Revolution are four extra shortcut buttons, which can be set functions in the PC app
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On the back of the Nacon Revolution are four extra shortcut buttons, which can be set functions in the PC app
The Nacon Revolution moves one thumbstick up to the top left of the controller, and adds an eight-way d-pad in its place
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The Nacon Revolution moves one thumbstick up to the top left of the controller, and adds an eight-way d-pad in its place
On the back of the Razer Raiju are two extra triggers, with a pair of additional bumper buttons on top
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On the back of the Razer Raiju are two extra triggers, with a pair of additional bumper buttons on top
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Since the iconic pair of analog sticks were added partway through the original Playstation's lifespan, the physical design of Sony's Dualshock controllers has retained a slim look and feel. Now the company has announced the impending arrival of chunky new third-party PS4 controllers from Razer and Nacon that are designed specifically for the eSports crowd with added buttons, triggers, profiles, and a decidedly more Xbox look about them.

eSports players, both professional and aspiring, are all about customization and twitchy response times, and with all their extra bells and whistles – not to mention bulk – the new controllers bring to mind the Xbox One's Elite controllers. Sony says it has collaborated with Razer and Nacon to make sure the peripherals work seamlessly with all 40 million PS4s out there today, as well as the recently-released slimmer model and the upcoming Pro.

The Razer Raiju adds a control panel along the bottom of the controller, which allows users to customize and switch between profiles, adjust headset volume and mute their microphone
The Razer Raiju adds a control panel along the bottom of the controller, which allows users to customize and switch between profiles, adjust headset volume and mute their microphone

The Razer Raiju retains most of the standard DualShock 4 layout, but adds a new control panel under the thumbsticks. From here, players can quickly customize user profiles and switch between them, as well as mute their microphone and adjust the volume of the headset. The all-important triggers have been tuned up, with trigger-stop switches and a hair trigger mode speeding up response times. Two extra bumper buttons have been added to the top, and normally-idle fingers will find an extra pair of detachable triggers on the back of the controller. Removable rubber caps for the thumbsticks top it all off.

The Nacon Revolution moves one thumbstick up to the top left of the controller, and adds an eight-way d-pad in its place
The Nacon Revolution moves one thumbstick up to the top left of the controller, and adds an eight-way d-pad in its place

By moving one of the sticks up to the top left of the controller, the Nacon Revolution changes up the twin stick look of the DualShock, which might help gamers more used to Sony's competitors. Those sticks are driven by firmware designed to boost their accuracy and reach, and where the left stick normally lives is a new eight-way d-pad. Custom profiles let players remap buttons, adjust the sensitivity of the triggers and analog sticks, and assign shortcuts to the four extra buttons on the back. The icing on the cake is the six weights encased in two internal compartments, designed to make the controller feel balanced and solid.

The Razer Raiju and Nacon Revolution are both set to launch in Europe in time for the holidays. There's no word yet on pricing or if/when they might make it to the US and other regions.

Source: Playstation blog

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1 comment
1 comment
Dustin
I really like the Nacon. One of my complaints about the PS4 controller layout is that the DPad can only be used with the left hand and a lot of times I want to keep my left hand on the analog stick and hit it with my right hand. The Xbox layout works much better for that.