Sony’s new DualShock 4 controller attachment is a great idea, but man does it look ugly

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There’s no end of third-party controllers out there that add more buttons to the existing designs for the DualShock 4 controller from Sony. Well, now Sony has gotten in on the act, with a new accessory for the DualShock 4, the Back Button Attachment.

Putting aside the terrible naming scheme (did the interns do this?), it’s a pretty cool idea. It plugs into the 3.5mm headphone jack and adds two more customizable paddles to the back of the controller. Take that, third-party manufacturers!

The new official DualShock 4 accessory looks like it could get in the way during gaming sessions

This is clearly a shot at controllers from companies such as SCUF and Microsoft’s own Elite controller. While it only adds two customizable buttons, it adds a screen to show what they’re actually mapped to so you don’t have to guess or remember. That’s perfect for those high-intensity FPS titles, or to make gaming more accessible for those with limited range of motion.

More about the Dualshock 4 Back Button attachment:

• It’s got a crisp OLED display to show the buttons it’s mapped to and has a dedicated button to remap on the fly
• It’s only $30
• It connects to the 3.5mm jack so any DualShock 4 controller should be compatible

The planned release date for the US is January 23.

It will be interesting to see how gamers react to this and if it will actually be adopted. It definitely looks a bit clunky and dare I say…phallic.

What do you think? Interested in trying out the Back Button attachment? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. Click here for more.

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.