Have you ever wanted to have a smaller controller for your PlayStation 4? Neither have we, but it appears that Sony thinks otherwise. The Japanese behemoth just unveiled its newest addition to its hardware lineup. This time, it’s a controller specifically designed for children – a PlayStation 4 Mini Gamepad. Actually, its official name is the Mini Wired Gamepad for PlayStation 4, but we fail to see how adding “wired” to it actually helps in this day and age.
The PlayStation 4 Mini Gamepad comes with a 10-foot cable and a size that is 40% smaller than that of the standard DualShock 4. It features a minimalistic flat design that reminds us of an old NES controller and all the essential buttons a gamer might need. These include the action buttons, right and left analogue sticks, R1/R2/L1/L2 buttons, and the D-Pad.
The price of the controller, when it launches this holiday, will be $29.99 USD (or $39.99 CAD). The reason for the huge margin between the price of this and the DualShock 4 is quite obvious. The PlayStation 4 Mini Gamepad doesn’t feature any of the following:
- Touchpad;
- Light bar;
- Stereo headset jack;
- Speaker;
- Vibration motors;
- Motion sensors;
While this might make it a deal breaker for some, we can see what Sony is trying to do here. If you already have the standard two controllers, adding more to your collection for your children or friends could really make you break the piggy bank. However, with the PlayStation 4 Mini Gamepad, you could purchase a few more controllers on the cheap. Be ready to jump over a lot of cables if you do, though.