The PS4 Controller Is Getting A Weird New Accessory

Back paddles seem like all the rage now when it comes to controllers. The Xbox Elite Controller has had them since its first incarnation, and the Scuf Vantage looks to fill a similar niche for PlayStation 4. Now Sony will step up to the plate with its own take on the controller with paddles by releasing a new accessory: the DualShock 4 Back Button Attachment.

Announced in a short trailer, this nifty little device snaps onto the bottom of your controller and provides you with two programmable buttons on the back — one under each wing. From the looks of it, you can program them to be one of 16 functions, making your controller a lot more versatile than it was before.

The Back Button Attachment also sports a shiny new OLED screen, which shows you what each back paddle is mapped to. It can store up to three profiles, so if you want to change the paddles on the fly, you can press into the screen and be on your way. The device also adds a new headphone jack slot at the bottom of the controller, replacing the one it covers up.

It's an interesting time for Sony to release such a peripheral. After all, we're well aware of the impending arrival of the next generation of consoles thanks to Microsoft's reveal of the Xbox Series X. Surely an announcement from Sony is on the horizon. How will the current controller and this peripheral fit into the PlayStation 5 ecosystem? Will there be a DualShock 5? And if so, what does that mean for the Back Button Attachment?

For now, you can be on the lookout for the accessory come late January, when it'll launch at a price of $29.99. If you want to see it in action, check out the announcement trailer Sony put out.