PS4 Controller Has Headphone Jack, Clickable Touchpad Button, Options Button Replaces Start Select, Mono Speaker, Micro USB and Extension Ports, Enhanced Motion Control, Enhanced Grip and Light Bar Sensor (Changes Colors To Indicate Health, Etc)

Giant touchpad on a console controller is a first!

The Dual Shock 4 PlayStation 4 controller has been revealed and it will feature a number of new changes from previous iterations of Sony’s famous pad.

The biggest addition is the all-new Share Button, which allows you to broadcast recorded video to friends via the Internet, social networking, your PSN list, uStream, etc.

It’s so similar… Yet so different!

The other biggest change in terms of input is the all-new Touch Pad. The Touch Pad on the PS4 controller will improve playability and allow for new experiences similar to that of a touch-screen (although not as diverse naturally) or the touchpad on the back of the PS Vita. In addition to being able to interact by touching or moving your finger across the touchpad, you can also click the TouchPad in, adding another button to the controller.

Other changes include a built-in Headphone Jack so you can play using headphones quickly and easily right from your controller (AWESOME NEWS! Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?), the jack also allows you to plug a headset in for voicechat. A built-in Mono speaker is also included just like on the Wii.

Another major new feature is the Light Bar, this will light up to indicate what controller port you are plugged into (just like on the Xbox 360) but can also be used for gameplay such as to indicate low health levels, via different colored lights on the controller.

Additionally, the Light Bar can be sensed via the PlayStation Eye peripheral that comes with every PS4. And the PS Eye can track your movement using the Dual Shock 4’s Light Bar, which will work very similar to the PlayStation Move Controllers.

Other changes for the PS4 controller include: An “Options” Button finally replaces the Select and Start buttons that have existed since the original PS1 controller, and going back to the original NES/Famicon in 1983/84/85; a Micro USB port will be included much like the PS3 controller, you can use it to charge the controller (which can also be charged via a charging station or via the console, even while off); an extension port; rubber or etched plastic backing to enhance grip, Motion Control via a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer, and improved rumble capability.

Besides the new features, the Dual Shock 4 will include all the features you expect from past PlayStation controllers: Four face-buttons (X, Circle, Triangle and Square), four shoulder buttons (L1, L2, R1, R2), Two Control Sticks (that are now concave with a hole in the center like the Xbox 360), A D-Pad (using the familiar cross unconnected cross shape) and clickable Control Sticks that represent the L3 and R3 buttons. The speaker is in the middle of the controller, with the Share Button on the upper left-hand side and the Options button on the upper-right hand side. The Touchpad is in the upper center of the controller, nearly the length of it from the end of the D-Pad to the Face Buttons.

Last but not least, the PlayStation Button (or “Home” Button as it’s called on Xbox 360) is in the center of the controller, to bring up the Main Menu, PlayStation Network, access your friends list, etc.

The Light Bar is on the top of the controller between the shoulder buttons (along with the Micro USB slot) while the Headphone jack is presumably on the bottom of the controller, where the headset jack on the Xbox 360 is.

All in all I am very pleased with the PS4 Controller and the Dual Shock 4 looks like a great upgrade to the Dual Shock 3. Speaking of which, it’s worth noting that the Dual Shock 3 Controller will NOT work with the PS4… The PS Move Controllers are supported however.

 

Wikipad Gaming Tablet Release And Hardware Details. Will Likely Launch Early This Year 2013

Very interesting indeed.

A gaming-controller tablet? If you haven’t heard of Wikipad, it’s a very interesting dedicated-to-gaming Tablet for $500 that seeks to compete with the iPad 4, Kindle Fire HD, Microsoft Surface and other tablet devices, while competing for your gaming dollar like never-before thanks to an extremely attractive Wii U-style controller that the tablet snaps into.

This offers console-quality control via dual analog sticks/Dpad, four triggers, and face-buttons on the left and right sides that is compatible with most every Android game on Google Play via Keyboard-mapping (any keyboard-mapping-supported game will “map” itself to the controller buttons seamlessly so say people who’ve played with it). Making it very easy to play games created for tablets in console-style, and makes it compatible with a ton of emulators for those who like to download retro console titles. All of this makes lots of dowloadable games very easy to pick up and play and sometimes superior to their touch-screen only cousins due to the extremely well-designed controller buttons.

Other digital gaming services support the device out-of-the-box including PlayStation Mobile, nvidia Tegrazone, possibly Gakai (an “OnLive”-style streaming service that originally supported the device until they were bought by Sony. Sony then gave the Wikipad “PlayStation Mobile” support, but has yet to confirm Gakai support), casual-game service Big Fish Unlimited, and the promise of other gaming services to come. OnLive, anyone?

What’s more, the device is a very high-quality tablet that gives the iPad 4 a run for it’s money, and the dockable controller can be snapped off so you can use the tablet by itself, just like any other tablet controller. The device is super powerful, running Android 4.1 Jellybean OS and is powered by nVidia’s Tegra 3 quad-core processor and a twelve-core GPU for lightning fast speeds and unrivaled raw processing power. It also features a built-in Gyroscope, Compass and 3-Axis Accelerometer for motion-control, features 8GB of internal space with support for 32GB Micro SD Cards, and features both a front and rear camera! The front camera is a whopping 8 Megapixel with auto focus and flash! Allowing you to take HD pictures or video of amazing quality, the front camera is 2MP. The device is also one of the thinnest on the market at 0.34” thick and is super light at only 1.23lbs! The screen is a whopping 10.1 inches (16:10 IPS) and unlike the Wii U it features Multi-Touch capability, has a built-in microphone and headphone jack, built-in GPS and stereo speakers.

Sadly, the Wikipad device was supposed to launch in Halloween 2012, then holiday 2012, but has been delayed further to early 2013. Now that 2013 is officially here, we should get a new announcement on the device’s launch soon. The website was updated on January 4th announcing Big Fish Unlimited, so the device looks to still be a go.

Upon launch, you will be able to buy it via Amazon, in GameStop stores (which were offering pre-orders before the delay, anyone who pre-ordered will be getting a special gift for it upon launch), at Best Buy, buy.com, Target, Newegg.com, Walmart, Tempo and surely other retailers post-launch.

I’ll keep you posted on this device and give you my own impressions if I can get my hands on one.

Wikipad Full Technical Speaks

PROCESSOR
nVidia Tegra 3 Quad-core (1.4GHz)
OPERATING SYSTEM
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
DISPLAY
10.1″ (diagonal) LCD (1280×800) 16:10 ratio wide-view panel
Capacitive multi-touch screen (supports 10-point gesture)
Scratch-resistant military-grade screen
WIRELESS
WiFi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
Bluetooth 3.1+
STORAGE
Internal Memory: 1GB LPDDR
Flash Memory: 16GB
Micro SD Slot: supports up to 32GB
SENSORS
3-axis Accelerometer
Ambient Light Sensor
e-Compass
Gyroscope
Active Vibration
INPUT / OUTPUT
Docking connector port
3.5mm stereo headphone minijack
Built-in stereo speakers
Microphone
Micro USB connector
HDMI output
CAMERA
Front: 2-megapixel
Rear: 8-megapixel (Autofocus, flash)
BATTERY / POWER
Built-in 23.46 watt-hour rechargable lithium-polymer battery
Up to 8 hrs watching video
Charging via power adapter (included)
SIZE / WEIGHT
Width: 10.34 inches (262.6 mm)
Height: 6.91 inches (175.4 mm)
Depth: 0.34 inch (8.6 mm)
Weight: 1.23 pounds (560 g)

 

Rayman Legends Wii U Exclusivity Announced. Sequel to Rayman Origins Debut Gameplay Video (Ubisoft E3 2012 Conference). Absolutely Beautiful 2D Side-Scroller Uses GamePad Tablet Plus Wii U Pro Controller Together. Supports 5 Players

… Use the Wii U tablet touchscreen to swipe your finger and cut the rope on the right with the lil flying guy, lowering the platform for Rayman!

Rayman Legends is a Wii U-exclusive! Talk about a megaton, this game looks absolutely PHENOMENAL. This is easily gotta be one of the most graphical beautiful 2D sidescrolling games ever made, with graphics that drip with high-definition greatness and animation that rivals the best that CG-generated feature films have to offer.

Announced at Ubisoft’s Pre-E3 2012 Press Conference, the game is played using a conjunction of one person on the Wii U GamePad tablet controller, stepping in the shoes of a lil green floating guy, and another player who uses the standard, newly revealed Xbox 360 style Wii U Controller Pro to control the land-based character. With this setup, the tablet player is able to smoothly, quickly, and easily move his character anywhere on the game screen, and then swipe the touchscreen on the Wii U GamePad Controller with their fingers to interact with the environment, defeat enemies and solve puzzles; helping his partner to clear the way.

If they want to, up to five players can jump into the game and play co-op at the same time using any combination of Wii U supported controllers, be it a Wii Remote and Nunchuck or more Wii U Pro Controllers. The co-op gameplay really has to be seen to be believed, as this game uses it absolutely brilliantly, such as having the flying guy rotate a spiked platform for the other character to stand on, or cutting a horizontal taut rope with perfect timing to create swings for his partners. This is one game where co-op was built in from the beginning, and it really shows. There is not a dull moment, and the tablet controlled character is anything but an afterthought, becoming central in everything that is going on and must be accomplished onscreen. This is true cooperative play in the truest sense of the word.

Here is the Wii U Rayman Legends debut gameplay trailer stage demo from Ubisoft’s E3 2012 Press Conference!

 

Internet Explorer For Xbox Brings Web Browsing To Xbox 360!

You can finally browse the Internet on Xbox 360!

Browsing the Internet on Xbox 360 is finally a reality with Internet Explorer for Xbox 360!

The full internet is explorable directly from your TV, additionally using Xbox SmartGlass, you can control the cursor on your screen by using a tablet, smartphone or iOS/Android device like an iPod Touch!

No word on whether or not you can download from the Internet or not.

Notes:
Fast, fluid, intuitive web experience, web transormed to TV. Control the website page with your tablet or phone, using the touchscreen of your device to control your cursor. Worldwide launch this fall 2012.

 

Question of the Day Poll – What Next-Gen System Most Excites You? Wii U, PS4, or Xbox 720? (May 31, 2012)

FIGHT! What next-gen system most excites you? PS4, Xbox 720 or Wii U? VOTE NOW!

What upcoming next-generation videogame system, Wii U, PS4, or Xbox 720, are you most excited about?

I know its still extremely early-going to ask a question like this, given that we don’t yet know anything about the PlayStation 4 or the next-Xbox system, but we do know a lot about the Wii U. Either way, players have their own conditions they’d like settled for a next-gen system to be truly next-gen, and if one of the current systems hasn’t settled it for you, then you’ll likely be more excited about what the other manufacturers may have in-the-works.

In that way, this question will also tell us whether or not what Nintendo has shown of the Wii U, with its tablet controller, is enough to excite them more than the prospect of what Sony or Microsoft have up their sleeves.

Once the non-code-names are known for a particular system, I will update this poll question.

Previous Poll Questions of the Day

* Question of the Day Poll – TGIF! Is Friday Your Favorite Day of the Week? (June 1, 2012)
* Question of the Day Poll – What Next-Gen System Most Excites You? Wii U, PS4, or Xbox 720? (May 31, 2012)
* Question of the Day Poll – Who Will Win the 2012 Election, President Obama or Mitt Romney? (May 30, 2012)
* Quote of the Day (Poll) – To Send A Letter Is A Good Way To Go Somewhere Without Moving Anything But Your Heart (May 29, 2012)
* Memorial Day Poll – Do You Know A Loved One That Has Died Serving America in the Military? (Question of the Day) (May 28 2012)
* Question of the Day Poll – Will the Supreme Court Overturn ObamaCare? Yes or No (May 27 2012)
* Question of the Day Poll – What E3 2012 Games Are You Most Excited About? (May 26, 2012)
* Question of the Day Poll – Who Will Win the NBA Playoffs 2012? (May 24 2012)