Current Events > Touch buttons were the worst hardware design this generation

(+) Yeah! (+)

You know, the kind of buttons they had on the launch Xbox One and PS4 consoles that weren't actual buttons you pressed but just an area that you pressed your finger up to in order to activate.

They always seemed cool at first, gave the consoles a really clean and sleek look, but it seems like they are quite prone to acting up. With the Xbox One I had issues with the power button being too sensitive, turning off when my dog walked by it or activating on it's own. Similar issue I had with a launch PS4, where the disc eject kept activating randomly to the point to where I couldn't use any discs with it anymore.

They really shouldn't have tried to replace good old fashioned push buttons, and the fact that the redesigned Xbox's and PS4's have push buttons says everything about it.
---

Lack of a headphone jack in smartphones*
---

I hate those buttons too TC. It's what I hate the most about my PS4
---

Touch sensitive buttons absolutely are garbage
---

Its the not best feature of the ps4 but its definitely not the worse design of modern technology.

Hell, its not even the worst part of the ps4 controller. For me its setting down the controller and having the trigger buttons activate.
---

Leight_Weight posted...

I hate those buttons too TC. It's what I hate the most about my PS4

Yeah it's what I hate about my launch consoles as well. Like I said, both of those issues have happened, although I eventually replaced the PS4 that was acting up with a spare I had at a parents house. Still, the Xbox acts up on occasion which can be annoying.

I look forward to getting that new Xbox X when it releases, finally a worthwhile upgrade to replace my old launch console.
---

I absolutely loathe touchscreen.
---

Xelltrix posted...

I absolutely loathe touchscreen.

---

Xelltrix posted...

I absolutely loathe touchscreen.

Touch screens are both good and bad. It doesn't take away from anything when used properly as with the Switch, but it can become a real issue when it takes over, like it did with the Wii U.
---

I don't get why they exist. They offer literally no benefit over regular buttons except for maybe giving you a few more millimeters of space on the inside.
---

I hate the touchpad on the PS4.

I was playing Gravity Rush 2 and I found that half the time the damn thing didn't work. At least not quickly.

Thank God the forms that game introduced were useless so it hardly mattered.

I can't for the life of me understand what that touch pad adds to the previously excellent PS2 controller (My fave controller)

Removing Start, turning Select into Share an then adding the stupid touch pad in the middle just made the controller worse.

And that's not nostaglia. I grew up with Sega-Master System and Genesis Controllers. The PS2 Controller is just the best one.
---

Frolex posted...

I don't get why they exist. They offer literally no benefit over regular buttons except for maybe giving you a few more millimeters of space on the inside.

Like I said, it was all about the appearance. It made it so they could give the front of the console a really smooth look. So you are right when you said that it offers no benefit because that is the truth, the only thing you can say about it is how it causes a lot of reliability issues.

It's basically one of those instances where a decorative design decision causes problems.
---

UnfairRepresent posted...

I hate the touchpad on the PS4.

I was playing Gravity Rush 2 and I found that half the time the damn thing didn't work. At least not quickly.

Thank God the forms that game introduced were useless so it hardly mattered.

I can't for the life of me understand what that touch pad adds to the previously excellent PS2 controller (My fave controller)

Removing Start, turning Select into Share an then adding the stupid touch pad in the middle just made the controller worse.

And that's not nostaglia. I grew up with Sega-Master System and Genesis Controllers. The PS2 Controller is just the best one.

Yeah the touch pad has always felt pointless, and I never understood the need to dedicate the select button to sharing either because it seems like only a very few people ever use that feature, and it's mostly just those career streamers you see on sites like Twitch.

It's right up there with the light on the back of the controller that you can never turn off which drains the battery life. It's pretty stupid.
---

jayj420 posted...

It's right up there with the light on the back of the controller that you can never turn off which drains the battery life. It's pretty stupid.

I never looked it up, does the color of the light on the back of the controller mean anything?

I just always ignored it
---

UnfairRepresent posted...

jayj420 posted...

It's right up there with the light on the back of the controller that you can never turn off which drains the battery life. It's pretty stupid.

I never looked it up, does the color of the light on the back of the controller mean anything?

I just always ignored it

In some games it'll change but I never pay attention to it because why would I
---

DarthAragorn posted...

UnfairRepresent posted...

jayj420 posted...

It's right up there with the light on the back of the controller that you can never turn off which drains the battery life. It's pretty stupid.

I never looked it up, does the color of the light on the back of the controller mean anything?

I just always ignored it

In some games it'll change but I never pay attention to it because why would I

Yeah I never understood why anybody would be staring at their controller while playing a game, lol.

It seems like the kind of thing where it might be cool for people watching someone play a game who are over at their house or something, but how often is that ever needed? I mean it's needless.

The only use it has is for motion tracking, but very few games ever took advantage of that.
---

I and all my friends use the share button a lot for saving screenshots and videos.
---

Waluigi1 posted...

I and all my friends use the share button a lot for saving screenshots and videos.

Yeah I mean there is at least a good argument for that one. I might not use it but some people still appreciate it.

Touch buttons on the other hand provide nothing in the way of benefits.
---