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Sony PS4 controller on display

Sony has given attendees at the Games Development Conference a hands-off look at the current mock-ups for the PlayStation 4 controller and Eye.

Nic Healey
Nic Healey is a Senior Editor with CNET, based in the Australia office. His passions include bourbon, video games and boring strangers with photos of his cat.
Nic Healey
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1 of 6 James Martin/CNET

Sony has given attendees at the Games Development Conference (GDC) a hands-off look at the current mock-ups for the PlayStation 4 controller and Eye.

When Sony launched its PlayStation 4, one thing was conspicuously absent from the proceedings: the console itself. Luckily, the company did have a controller on hand, and it's now being displayed at the GDC in San Francisco, California.

Interestingly, Sony is calling it a mock-up, but we assume that not too much will change for it and the Eye before the PS4 launches. Now we just need to know what the actual console will look like...

PS4 controller

As we said, Sony was quick to point out to GDC-goers that this is a mock up of the controller. Could the overall design actually change? It could, but given the fact that it's now been shown off at both the PS4 launch and now, GDC, we assume Sony are confident that the controller that ships will look pretty much identical to this.

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2 of 6 James Martin/CNET

The rear sensor

This is where the PS4 controller communicates with the new look Sony Eye, working pretty much as the current Move controller does. This means the PS4 can accurately track things, such as the height at which you're holding the controller, the distance you are from the TV and more.

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3 of 6 James Martin/CNET

The share button

Much was made at Sony's PS4 launch of the share function — the ability to have friends see what you're playing, upload clips of what you've been doing, even have friends jump in and take control of your game for a small time. The dedicated share button is the "instant on" for many of these functions.

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4 of 6 James Martin/CNET

The touch pad

The touch sensitive section on the controller will recognise two points of touch, as well as standard control gestures such as pinch, twist and even flick.

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5 of 6 James Martin/CNET

The Eye

The new look Eye has a fairly simple bar shape that seems a little bit like a Wii Sensor and a Kinect mixed up.

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6 of 6 James Martin/CNET

The Eye

It's not confirmed, but given its integration with the controller, we'd expect the Eye to ship as part of the PS4, and not as an accessory.

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