Controller

The latest drip has dropped from Sony, as the company drip-feeds us details about the PlayStation 5. This time we’ve finally been treated to a look at the controller, and the design marks a surprising departure from the last four generations.

When playing video games most of your fingers are just lazing around on the back, so why not make them pull their weight? That seems to be the rationale behind the DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment that Sony has just announced for the PlayStation 4.

Flying aircraft or spacecraft is tricky in games. Traditional controllers or joysticks can only provide half the puzzle. Now, a small startup called Sublight Dynamics has unveiled a prototype for a one-handed joystick with six degrees of freedom.

The 3dRudder, a kind of balance board that players steer with their feet, is making its way to PlayStation VR users in the US.

​Five years ago, Fishman's TriplePlay controller gave us the opportunity to wirelessly tap into an almost infinite world of digital sounds on our laptop. Now the firm has unveiled a new version called the Connect that offers a similar experience for iPad users, though it's not wireless this time.​

On the Nintendo Switch games like Super Smash Bros Ultimate are best played with Pro Controllers. Japanese accessory company Hori has now unveiled a new controller that's basically a Pro Controller split in two to slide onto either side of the screen in handheld mode.

​Back in 2015, Sensel introduced the Morph, a sensor-packed interface that could accommodate a host of colorful overlays for different tasks. Now the company has introduced its first new overlay since Kickstarter backers began receiving their Morphs in 2017, the Buchla Thunder.​​

Vochlea Music's goal in making the Dubler Studio Kit is to help musicians "release the stems of musical ideas trapped in their heads and get them straight into their production software – by simply using their voice."

DJI’s controllers normally need a phone or tablet, but that can be a drain on your battery, fiddly to set up and hard to see in the bright light of day. At CES this week, the company has unveiled a new controller with its own display built in, designed for use in direct sunlight.

Helicopters and planes are steered by joystick-like controllers, so why aren’t drones? Fluidity Technologies is working on just such a controller, with the FT Aviator now on Kickstarter.

Xbox Australia has created a limited edition greaseproof controller that should help gamers keep a better grip on their controller and their eyes on the prize – especially if that prize is a chicken dinner.

Why should car guys have all the fun? LeanGP is working to release a lean-to-steer motorcycle controller for home VR gaming in an attempt to bring some of the physical elements of motorcycling into the gaming experience.