MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Sony will not be offering the option to switch off the DualShock 4’s rear LED in a future update.
Sony’s president of worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida simply replied no” when asked about the possibility on Twitter, adding that the LEDs do not use much battery”.
Some users have complained not only that the large LED on the back of the pad reduces the device’s already short battery life, but also that it can be a distraction in dark rooms, particularly when it reflects off the TV screen.
It is thought that the LED was introduced when Sony still planned on making the use of the PlayStation Camera compulsory – plans that are understood to have been scrapped in an effort to undercut the Xbox One RRP and capitalise on the anti-Kinect backlash.
It should be noted that the LED does have some practical uses – it allows PS4 to sign players in automatically and associate the correct layer with the correct gamertag. It is also used in some games, such as in Killzone: Shadow Fall where it changes to correspond to a player’s health.
