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I finally got a DS4 Back Button Attachment, I’m not sure what I think...

NinjaBoiX

Member
s-l640.jpg


So these things have been out of stock ever since they launched and have been selling for silly money since then, so when I saw a brand new sealed one for £40 on eBay I snapped it up.

But I’m not sure if I like it, it’s a lot bulkier than I thought it’d be and my hand is kind of cramping up having to make room for it with an altered grip.

And honestly, I’m not finding that great a use for it right now either, functionally speaking. I thought it’d be super useful to have L1 and R1 for example mapped to them, but muscle memory is making it difficult to accommodate these two extra buttons!

Maybe I’ll get used to the new grip, and maybe once I get the hang of it I’ll find it useful. But right now I just feel like taking it off and sticking it back on eBay. I’ll give it another week or so though.

What are you’re thoughts on it?
 

ahmyleg

Banned
Dude, I recently had the exact same experience. I took it back pretty quickly. I'd never tried a controller with back buttons before, and it worked out like I thought it would; cramping and uncomfortable. Plus, I don't like not being able to grip the controller hard without accidentally clicking a button.

What I want to see is a controller with 6 shoulder buttons instead of the usual 4. I think that'd work better, but can't know for sure until I try it out and it's done ergonomically.
 

Traxtech

Member
It definitely takes abit to get used to that's for sure but once you do its hard to go back to a controller without it.

Unless you have short fingers, which I can see being a problem comfort wise long term due to the added distance your hand stretches out
 

Soodanim

Member
These sold out immediately but nothing came of it. There’s a market for a controller with paddles, that’s been established, but I guess we’ll have to wait until after the launch window for anything new.

It does seem fairly bulky, I have big hands but I wondered how the ergonomics would be affected.
 

Agent X

Gold Member
I noticed the other day that my local Walmart had three of these attachments in stock. Prior to that, I had never seen these units anywhere since their release.
 
I tracked one down at launch and bought one thinking I'd really dig it. I've only used it like twice in serious gameplay. I just couldn't get used to it.
 

ksdixon

Member
Dude, I recently had the exact same experience. I took it back pretty quickly. I'd never tried a controller with back buttons before, and it worked out like I thought it would; cramping and uncomfortable. Plus, I don't like not being able to grip the controller hard without accidentally clicking a button.

What I want to see is a controller with 6 shoulder buttons instead of the usual 4. I think that'd work better, but can't know for sure until I try it out and it's done ergonomically.

What about 6 face buttons like the old Sega pads?
 

VCAwe

Neo Member
had the exact same experience the first few days where my hand wasn't comfortable, I kept pressing buttons by accident, etc. So I kept taking it off cause i was playing like shit (warzone)

then I decided to keep it on and got used to it in 2-3 days. I have it mapped to jump and crouch and now it's hard to play fps games without it.
 
had the exact same experience the first few days where my hand wasn't comfortable, I kept pressing buttons by accident, etc. So I kept taking it off cause i was playing like shit (warzone)

then I decided to keep it on and got used to it in 2-3 days. I have it mapped to jump and crouch and now it's hard to play fps games without it.
I have crouch on L4, and Weapon Switch (Triangle) on R4.
I also use it on DMC5. Trickster on L4, and Swordmaster on R4.
 
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Fordino

Member
It took a while to get used to, mainly cos I had to adjust my grip, but I now find it essential, especially for FPS.

I tried playing COD Modern Warfare with my PS5 controller the other day and not being able to slide or jump whilst turning at the same was very frustrating.

So for now I’m continuing to use the PS4 controller for PS4 FPS games, and hopefully they’ll bring out a similar attachment for the PS5 controller.

Hopefully Scuf will bring out a PS5 controller soon, but I’m guessing it won’t be for a while, as they’ll no doubt have to develop their own haptics and adaptive triggers support.
 

NinjaBoiX

Member
You really need to retrain your brain but once you do, it's just a better way. An underrated use is shifting gears in racing games.
Yup, I can see that. I currently have L1 & R1 mapped to it for drive-by’s in GTA5, I always find if difficult to press more than two shoulder buttons at once
 

R6Rider

Gold Member
Got one when it came out and it's amazing. Especially for Siege, Monster Hunter, and Soulsborne titles. I miss having it, so whenever I play PS4 titles on my PS5 I use my DS4 still.

I generally us the left button as X or Jump with the right as O or roll/evade. It works well in Ace Combat and racing titles too, but didn't play many of them since owning it.
 
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Stwitch

Neo Member
Absolutely love it. Been using it for a few months, at the start it did feel weird but now it feels natural.
 

MrFunSocks

Banned
Stick with it and you’ll get used to it very quickly. The point is to use them for buttons that you can’t usually use without having to take your fingers off other buttons, so the face buttons are the best things to use them for.

I use an elite controller with all 4 triggers mapped to a/b/x/y.
 

ChoosableOne

ChoosableAll
If i ever get one, i will use them as L3/R3, especially for L3 sprinting in Nhl. It's good to have options. But it's too expensive for a gimmick, in where i live.
 

ksdixon

Member
If i ever get one, i will use them as L3/R3, especially for L3 sprinting in Nhl. It's good to have options. But it's too expensive for a gimmick, in where i live.

I feel this is how I'd use them too. L4 for LS's run so that I don't get hand cramp holding it down normally, and talking specifically about TLOU multiplayer, R4 for RS's marking opponent command.
 

JLB

Banned
Not sure if its entirely the same, but with my elite controller I find those back buttons / peddles to be really great for one use case: driving games using manual, so you can still accelerate/break with the normal triggers, and use these back buttons to move up/down gears.
 
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Impotaku

Member
I love having mine and the fact it's just so fast to program, it is totally true that it feels weird when you first have it as you do fight muscle memory and your fingers seem to have no idea where to rest when not pressing the paddles but i have discovered i can rest my fingers on them without pressing them in as they have enough resistance to hold up but obvs everyone is not the same.

For me it made playing resi remake 2&3 a pleasure as i could map the annoying run click stick input to one of them same with no mans sky i hate having to click in the sticks for any prolonged move and in those 3 games i have listed you use it a lot of the time. Never thought i'd have liked it as much as i did but i'm glad to took the chance and upgraded as it's a useful widget to have, Always handy to have the ability to remap any button to those 2 places.
 
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TheBoss1

Member
As someone who mainly plays COD now, I definitely see the appeal of having extra buttons. Not having to remove your fingers from the left and right stick while performing an action is extremely beneficial where milliseconds matter. I wish they would come out with a Dualsense Pro, or at the very least an attachment that look more like the SCUF and Elite paddles.
 

NinjaBoiX

Member
So I’ve given it a fair shake but yeah, it’s just not for me. I eventually got used to the new grip and made a concerted effort to make use of them but it just never felt natural. Ironically I clicked them accidentally more than intentionally.

I decided to remove it today and the pad felt instantly more comfortable.

On eBay it goes.

Edit: also a consideration is that even if I do manage to remap my brain to start making use of them, I’m then going to start playing a PS5 that doesn’t have them? Nah, it’s just not worth the effort IMO.
 
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skit_data

Member
I use it when playing Sekiro, made it easier to control the camera movement while fighting. I have yet to try it in anything else. Its hard getting used to it and it feels like you might press the buttons by mistake despite it was never an issue in Sekiro.
 

R6Rider

Gold Member
I use it when playing Sekiro, made it easier to control the camera movement while fighting. I have yet to try it in anything else. Its hard getting used to it and it feels like you might press the buttons by mistake despite it was never an issue in Sekiro.
It took a bit to get used to, but now I can go between DS4 with, DS4 without, and the DualSense with no issue. Best uses are aiming and crouch in FPS games, shifting in racing games, and dodging/rolling in action games.
 

Susurrus

Member
Only used it in Mega Man X Collection so I don't have to do the claw do dash, jump, and shoot at the same time.
 

Miles708

Member
The back button attachment saved my controller and sanity.
Use is as L3/R3 all the time.
This not being usable on PS5 is just Sony being Sony.
 

Moogle11

Banned
Haven't used that, but love my Xbox Elite Series 1 controller with just two paddles attached. Especially for dual stick FPS games where I can map jump and melee or whatever to them and have to take my fingers off the right stick way less often. It took, a while go get used too--and I couldn't do the four paddles (found it awkward to hold and just too much to wrap my hand eye coordination around)--but it's hard going back now and will have me playing multiplats on XSX instead of PS5 this gen unless a similar option comes out for PS5 (new controller or attachment for Dualsense).
 

NinjaBoiX

Member
The back button attachment saved my controller and sanity.
Use is as L3/R3 all the time.
This not being usable on PS5 is just Sony being Sony.
L3 & R3 are the obvious uses for it, but I just always ended up using the normal buttons. I tried it as reload and change weapon in CoD but it just never clicked. I almost got the hang of it for yaw in GTA but it didn’t really feel like an improvement from the actual controls.

It never felt like “a better way” to me, just a more cramped pad which suddenly started developing unintended inputs.

I gave it a go, but it was just a nuisance to me quite honestly.
 
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Miles708

Member
L3 & R3 are the obvious uses for it, but I just always ended up using the normal buttons. I tried it as reload and change weapon in CoD but it just never clicked. I almost got the hang of it for yaw in GTA but it didn’t really feel like an improvement from the actual controls.

It never felt like “a better way” to me, just a more cramped pad which suddenly started developing unintended inputs.

I gave it a go, but it was just a nuisance to me quite honestly.

That's fair, also I agree it requires active effort initially to rewire your brain.

I guess it's easier for me because clicking the sticks never... clicked for me. L3 and R3 buttons are an awkward solution that's hard on the tumbs and also melts your controller.

Your mileage may vary, for me it's a life-saver though. I use it on Dreams all the damn time and it's just easier that way.
 
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Umbral

Member
I prefer back buttons like the Astro C40TR. I have the back button attachment, but like you, I found it to be too bulky and my hands would hurt after trying to use it for a while because it changed the ergonomics of the DS4.

Edit: I hope Sony offers a Pro controller at some point or Astro releases a PS5 compatible version.
 
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Shmunter

Member
Couldn’t wait to get the attachment, my mind raced with the possibilities of being a COD, 360 no scope, wallbanger elite. Only to realise decades of muscle memory made it a shitty experience. Glad Dualsense did not include it by default now.
 
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NinjaBoiX

Member
I’ve been jabbing at L3 & R3 for literally decades now, I’ve never once had an issue with it damaging the sticks.
Couldn’t wait to get the attachment, my mind raced with the possibilities of being a COD, 360 no scope, wallbanger elite. Only to realise decades of muscle memory made it a shitty experience. Glad Dualsense did not include it by default now.
Haha, this is me precisely.

“It’s going to be so cool, I can press face buttons without taking my thumbs off the sticks!”

*Wow, this is really uncomfortable and I don’t think I’ll ever really get used to having these extra buttons. This isn’t an improvement to me at all.*
 

Miles708

Member
“It’s going to be so cool, I can press face buttons without taking my thumbs off the sticks!”

*Wow, this is really uncomfortable and I don’t think I’ll ever really get used to having these extra buttons. This isn’t an improvement to me at all.*

As much as I love this thing, I don't think i could ever remap the back buttons to any of the face buttons.
My brain would never be able to handle that.
 
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FrankWza

Member
I prefer back buttons like the Astro C40TR. I have the back button attachment, but like you, I found it to be too bulky and my hands would hurt after trying to use it for a while because it changed the ergonomics of the DS4.

Edit: I hope Sony offers a Pro controller at some point or Astro releases a PS5 compatible version.
I thought the back button was far more comfortable than the c40 buttons. I hated the r/l1 button placement on the c40 too.

I’m day 1 for a dualsense back button or pro controller.
 
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