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PlayStation DualShock 4 controller getting Back Button accessory

PlayStation is launching a new accessory for the DualShock 4 in February that will add programmable buttons to the underside of the controller.

TJ Denzer

December 17, 2019 9:35 AM

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In the world of controllers (and especially competitive play), having customization and ease of access can open up whole new facets of play. The PlayStation’s DualShock controllers have always been pretty simple and clean in their design, allowing for markets beyond Sony to fill a niche of more versatile controller design. That said, it looks like Sony is finally starting to dip a toe in offering the versatility that other controller manufacturers have been offering for years with a new Back Button Attachment accessory for the DualShock 4 coming in February 2020.

PlayStation announced the new DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment for PlayStation 4 controllers on December 17, 2019 via a press release from PlayStation UK and a YouTube video on the official PlayStation channel. The new accessory attaches to the bottom of the PlayStation DualShock 4 controller and allows players to map sixteen different actions to the two additional buttons that players can now access underneath the controller via an OLED display. The accessory is set to launch on February 14, 2020 and will cost $29.99 at launch. You can check out the YouTube video demonstrating the accessory and its functionality below.

The accessory does come with some notable limitations. For one, the attachment seems to plug into or over the 3.5mm port where some audio devices can be connected on the controller, meaning if you're using a wired headset with a 3.5mm connection, you may have to choose between having a mic and headphones or the accessory. The second limitation is its just two buttons. Controllers like Xbox’s Elite controller and those of SCUF gaming have been offering the same sort of customizable bottom controller button set-ups for quite some time, but their arrangement has often come with four customizable buttons. It’s worth noting this announcement comes just as SCUF Gaming was acquired by Corsair.

At $30, the DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment isn’t a bad idea. It adds some first-party versatility to the controller where at one time there was none. It’s also curious that PlayStation is launching this accessory just a year before the next console generation of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are just around the corner. It’s possible Sony is playing with the idea of something similar to the popular Xbox Elite controller and this is their first step towards it with the launch of the PS5 on the horizon.

What do you think of the PlayStation Back Button Attachment? Let us know in the Shacknews Chatty comment section below.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.