Sixaxis controllers and the L2/R2 triggers
The PS3 inexplicably launched with the vibration-less Sixaxis controllers, stripping out a function that many gamers grew accustomed to with the first two PlayStation consoles. At the time, Sony’s then-president of worldwide studios Phil Harrison explained that rumble was a “last generation feature.” A few years later, and conveniently after the settlement of a lawsuit that disputed Sony’s right to use that rumble technology, haptic feedback returned with the DualShock 3.
But the controller woes didn’t stop there: The L2 and R2 triggers had their own issues. Personally, the bulging, slippery design led to many accidental grenade throws during my Call of Duty matches. The buttons can also depress if you just place the controller on a surface, which didn’t make it ideal for watching movies (L2 and R2 rewind and fast-forward, respectively).
Sony kept these criticisms in mind when working on the DualShock 4.
Above: Goodbye, squishy triggers!
The clunky PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store has come a long way since the blue hues of its original web-based incarnation in 2006. But it still has one major problem: It’s too damn slow. Even with a decent Internet connection, images pop in later than they should, and menu commands chug with the simplest actions. Adding games to your cart, browsing menus, or searching for a specific thing feels is a chore.
Above: The PlayStation Store looks better now than when it launched, but it’s still slow and cumbersome.
Quitting a game to move between apps
If you want to switch to something like Netflix or Hulu while playing a game on PS3 or Xbox 360, you first have to quit the game, go back to the console’s main menu, and then select the app. It’s not a huge deal, but it does take a few extra steps to go from one application to another.
The PS4 and Xbox One handles this in different ways. On PS4, you can double-click the PS button (below the touchpad) to jump to the last app you opened. Double clicking the button again will bring you back to the game. The Xbox One can have multiple apps open at the same time (as seen in the video below), and you can freely switch between them using your controller or with voice commands.
[youtube http://youtu.be/xhe6jV-APwM]Is there anything else you’re not going to miss about the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360? Let us know in the comments below!