One of the most popular ways for manufacturers to add extra inputs to game controllers is positioning four paddle-shaped buttons on the back. Redditor Styroor took that idea, grabbed some basic tools, and created a new type of DualShock 4: one with backside buttons. It looks a little rough, but thereâs not a piece of technology out there that canât benefit from a set of mechanical keyboard switches.
Everybody knows that a nice mechanical keyboard is the best way to do everything, from basic computing tasks to playing complex rhythm games. Sometimes, however, you get stuck with a gamepad with more simplistic button inputs, but youâre never truly stuck when youâve got a soldering iron and a sander. Styroor may not have had the exact implements needed to make his DualShock keyboard switch conversion look pretty, but he had ambition, and sometimes thatâs enough.
âI always wanted a controller with mechanical switches and I just didnât want to keep waiting until a big brand released my vision of âperfect controllerâ,â Styroor told me via Reddit instant message. âMost of the other controllers make you move your fingers to an unnatural position to press the back buttons/paddles, and regardless of the controller you buy, at the end all of them are âbuttonsâ you know? And yes, a mechanical switch itâs easier to press, but it only can be activated when direct pressure is put on it, it just feels more comfortable and you can press them faster.â
And so Styroom used heat to break into the handles of his DualShock 4 controller, sanding the edges to keep them from being too jagged. He removed the rumble motors, replacing them with a pair of ExtremeRate DAWN remap kit boards. He soldered a pair of Gateron brown tactile switches to each side, and presto, keyboard buttons on a PlayStation 4 controller.
âI know keyboard and mouse have their own unique advantages that a controller simply canât emulate. I just wanted to combine this feeling and advantage on a controller, and regardless the limitations I have, Iâm very happy with the resultâ said Styroor of the finished product.
There are changes heâd like to make in the next iteration of the project. Firstly, a little more precision in cutting those holes. Then some different switches. Gateron brown switches are great for typing, but theyâre a bit light, which makes them easy to push accidentally. A switch with a heavier spring is called for here. I have some 78g Zealios switches that would be perfect for this application, strong enough to rest your fingers on without misfires. Styroor also recommends low profile keycaps, but those are easy enough to swap out.
I applaud your efforts, Styroor, and look forward to future iterations of this sublime hardware innovation.
