Sony has announced the new DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment, adding two programmable buttons at the back designed for competitive play. Sony claims attachment is designed to elevate gameplay by delivering more versatility and performance, but exactly what does this mean for competitions?
Programmable Buttons and OLED Display
Announced in a blog post by Sony, the new Dualshock 4 Back Button Attachment adds two programmable buttons at the back, where the middle finger normally rests. The two back buttons can be programmed to do up to 16 different actions such as Triangle, Circle, Square, Cross, or any of the other buttons. The back buttons are also designed to provide tactile feedback for a smoother experience.
On the center of the two buttons lies a gorgeous OLED display that shows the current profile of the attachment. The display can be pressed to switch between profiles for the two buttons, storing up to three at a time for different games or different actions between the games.
Sony Interactive Entertainment Peripherals Global Marketing Manager, Ike Nnoli confirmed on the comments of the blog post that the attachments cannot be used to program macros. This is a shame for non-competitive players, as macros would allow for easier access to complex combos such as in fighting games. This tool may still be useful for competitive players thanks to its swappable profiles, as well as users with accessibility requirements.
The attachment connects via the EXT and 3.5 mm headphone ports on the DualShock 4 but has its own audio port for audio passthrough.
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Release and Pricing
The Back Button Attachment will be available in the US and Canada on January 23, 2020. It will retail for $29.99 USD and $39.99 CAD in each country, respectively. It is slated for a delayed-release in Europe, dated at February 14, 2020, and priced at €29.99
This brings the total cost of a regular DualShock 4 with the attachment to about $90. Putting it at half the price of the Xbox Elite 2. That isn't to say that the DualShock 4 will be as capable, but it stands at half the $180 of the Xbox Elite 2. It is more likely designed to compete with aftermarket PS4 controllers such as the Hori or Logitech's Astro Controllers.
Dualshock 5
It is surprising for Sony to release this product so close to the end of the PS4 and DualShock 4's life cycle, what with the upcoming release of the PS5 and DualShock 5. A recent Sony patent also revealed what may be the upcoming DualShock 5, but nothing is certain yet.
So the question stands, will the Back Button Attachment be compatible with the DualShock 5? Apparently not, as Sony Peripherals Global Marketing Manager Ike Nnoli again confirmed in the comments that "No, the DS4 Back Button Attachment is designed to be compatible with the DualShock 4 wireless controller."
We hope, however, that this means that the Back Button Attachment will not be necessary in the first place and that its features will be available on the upcoming DualShock 5.
