Sony releases an adapter to offer premium features to its standard remote.
This generation of consoles has navigated in recent years with the search for a type of command that brings something more to what we already know. We refer to premium controls, proposals that offer professional variants to game control, especially shooters. What Scuf did in an artisanal way, adding later levers to have more options, has been expanded with all kinds of official proposals. Brands like Nacon, Razer or Thrustmaster have released moldable controls in which the reaction speed of the triggers, the type of analog sticks and the extra buttons have been the big claim. Microsoft did not want to be left behind and launched the Elite command as an official response to these needs, now covered by the unbeatable Elite Series 2 (the best on the market today). And Sony? After licensing some controls, and waiting to see what the PS5 controller will be like, launch the Back Buttons accessory. It's enough? We tell you.
The new accessory comes on sale in the coming weeks at a price of 29.99 euros and is compatible with all Dualshock 4 controls. The truth is that there are two main features that stand out from this proposal: on the one hand, its plug and play that allows us to connect it directly to the jack output of the remote, fit it perfectly and use it from that moment. The second, of course, is the price. 30 euros for such an upgrade is a much more affordable price than any premium remote. Nacon has options around 90 euros, but the most powerful versions go up to 130 euros or more and controls such as the Razer Ultimate or the last Thurstmaster reach 180. Here you play with an advantage: if you have PS4, you already have a Dualshock 4.
Despite this, we must be clear: we are not faced with similar options, but with a complement for specific needs. Premium controls offer endless possibilities and different options designed for the most demanding hands. Here we go straight to the point: two extra back buttons.
Principal functions
And what are they for? Basically for one of the functions that more people ask for in third-person shooters and in FPS: do actions more simply. With the two subsequent buttons we can assign the jump and therefore, jump and aim at the same time (impossible with the right stick and the X button). Also assign less intuitive skills like running with L3, much simpler with this button. Or the classic melee hit, or reload. It is a shortcut that everyone can try in the way they prefer. We, for example, have won in agility with the jump assigned in a later button in both Apex and Modern Warfare, while in Kakarot we have assigned the guard button that sometimes is not very intuitive to us as L2.
The system works as follows: once we connect the adapter, we simply have to press the back piece to activate the profile. If we press the button, we can edit what action to assign. There are all the available buttons, the four direction arrows (designed to quickly assign an item in action games) or leave it without any function. If we press and hold a second we can switch between up to three different profiles to have options in several games. And that's it Without third party app’s or having to constantly rewrite what we ask for.
Once we have it, we simply start playing to enjoy these functions. At the ergonomic level, the back buttons are immediately accessible, since they occupy almost the entire rear area where we have the middle fingers. It is true that it makes the grip of the Dualshock somewhat less comfortable and compact, but it is nothing worrying and soon we are accustomed. The shape of the buttons, well fitted with the control grips, makes it very comfortable to press.
The main setback of this accessory of Back Buttons, of course, is that it is somewhat limited compared to other options to which it points. They are only two buttons instead of the four that we have in many other proposals.
conclusion
The Dualshock 4 Back Buttons are an ideal solution for those who want to have some shortcuts on back buttons, especially for action games. Its competitive price and performance and operation are totally beyond doubt: it is placed, adjusted in a few seconds and used perfectly. It is not as complete as the experience of a premium remote control that offers you four extra buttons, in addition to many other functions, but in return it has a very competitive price and is postulated as a solution for PS4 users more than interesting, if What is sought is that access to certain actions to be performed more agilely or in combination with others that, with the traditional command, is not possible.
