Looking deeper at the consoles post launch: The DualShock 4

“They finally did it,” I proclaimed after first holding a DualShock 4. “Sony made a damn good controller.”

It’s hard to express how absolutely amazing a DualShock 4 feels if you’ve never held one. Imagine the comfort of holding Nintendo’s Wavebird GameCube controller, but it holds the familiar DualShock design. Sony has found a way to not sacrifice familiarity while still altering and enhancing. They’ve also found a way to make the best controller of this generation thus far.

The most important thing to remember with the DualShock 4 is the fact that while, yes, things have been tinkered (I’m looking at you, triggers) for a better experience, the design wasn’t messed with too much. There’s no giant screen in the middle of the controller that makes its size exponentially bigger. The controller isn’t taller, giving off an odd and unfamiliar feeling at first glance. It’s familiar and comfortable.

What’s most impressive about the DualShock 4, though, has to be how it’s won over this Xbox and Nintendo veteran. It’s easily on par with both the GameCube’s Wavebird and traditional Xbox 360 controller. Dare I say it’s better than the Xbox One’s controller? It’s a really, really close call, and that’s a big win for Sony.

The bottom line is that I love my DualShock 4.

Except when it comes to battery life.

It's great that I don't need to replace batteries, allowing me to keep the controller plugged into the system whenever I'm not playing, but I'll be damned if I don't have to charge it multiple times a week. A minor annoyance, yes, but an annoyance one the less.

Still, if this is the only thing that makes me angry about the DualShock 4, you damn better believe I'll take it.