We're a bit backwards in the West – and not because One Direction keep getting to the top of the charts. If you think about the symbols on the DualShock controller, circle was clearly intended as a confirmation button, while X should be used to cancel. However, time has taught us to switch these commands around – even if the fine people in Japan do things the "right" way.
A leaked screenshot from the PlayStation 4's firmware update v2.50 beta suggests that you'll finally have the option to pick a side, though, as you'll be able to reassign all of the DualShock 4's buttons as part of an 'Accessibility' option. It's unclear whether this will carry across to games or if it will be limited to the user interface, but we should learn more soon – especially now that this information is out.
Indeed, the Japanese giant's system software test was intended to be a hush-hush affair, but was all over the Internet within minutes of the NDA protected material hitting the inbox of PlayStation MVPs. Other features in the upcoming update apparently include Suspend/Resume, but it's worth nothing that, as a beta, this could very well be subject to change.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 20
Why is the button your thumb naturally placed above supposed to be cancel?
This is how final fantasy 7 functions...and I absolutely hated it. Definitely not changing it.
But... But... X marks the spot!
Seriously it's way more natural to me to use what's essentially the modern day jump button to move forward, and the more-awkward-to-reach circle as cancel.
@sonicmeerkat I suppose they were inspired by the SNES, maybe?
I could see this being useful to some, but i'm so used to the controls now, I doubt i could get used to changing it.
This is a few console generations too late. I'm too used to X as confirm. Cannot go back.
This is great! Using Japanese hardware and playing both PAL and NTSC-US software can lead to some wonky button arrangements so to be able to reassign them will be great!
@get2sammyb Super Nintendo branding with the Super Famicom logo and button coloration? I... never knew there could be an Uncanny Valley for controllers, but growing up with the American version (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/SNES-Controller.jpg/640px-SNES-Controller.jpg), that picture has me subtly super unsettled.
@get2sammyb Man don't even get my started on how nintendo thinks B comes before A, sega did it right at least.
X marks the spot and it's the button your thumb is hovering over, so when we mostly say 'yes activate', x should be the button. To press square we need to pull back our thumb so it suits 'go back, undo'. Hopefully we rarely have to cancel otherwise we get nowhere so the most uncomfortable button press should be used which is square.
People are reacting to this article as if it's the only option but you can set whatever you like. It is this website that has suggested changing x to square. You could change x to triangle if you want. The choice is yours.
Button mapping is an interesting update, but it would be pretty useless if it was just a single global setting. The feature should store settings that are game specific so you can have different settings for each game. Otherwise you will get a game that has bad button mapping, you correct it, then when you go back to your other games that were fine, it's all wrong, so you have to put it back. That's an annoying mess.
Fantastic news! I have an Asia region PS4 and have never been able to get used to the buttons being the wrong way around. Best update so far!
Will never change it. X is awesome!!!
Wow. Technology in 2015, is there anything we cant do!
People saying your thumb naturally rests over x miss the point that it does that because you know x is confirm. As someone who plays a lot of Japanese games my thumb naturally rests over o, so this is great news for me. Too often I've switched from a Japanese to a European game and then started pressing the wrong button. It's a minor gripe that, truth be told, is got over within ten seconds but no longer! Now I can have the correct confirm button, no matter what game I play.
Be interesting to see how deeply integrated this is, would say COD change its controller hints to the new button, or are the controller hints hard coded into the game. A little bit like how steam changes some games from xbox controller to keyboard and mouse, and the hints change to the new controller.
Sweet! I've been wanting customization options like this for a while, hopefully it works with all games on PS4. I'll be switching those two around for sure, it's always bugged me. Maybe they'll give us folders too.
By the way, your finger can hover over any button, doesnt have to be X. SNES isnt backwards either, Japanese reads from right to left so it's in the order ABXY.
Lol if this happens hello O for confirm! I've played a fair deal of imports, it feels nicer for me. PlayStation confirmed what the face buttons are supposed to be
O is confirm
X is cancel
Triangle is supposed to be like a camera (think MGS)
Square is supposed to be a map.
Look up did you know gaming on YouTube
I was always a fan of how Sega Genesis did it: A B C, then 1, 2, 3 above it. But, then again, I always thought SegaCD would become really popular, too, but that didn't happen.
@get2sammyb Interestingly enough, the Playstation was originally a Nintendo project called the Play Station. It was going to be a way for the SNES to remain relevant when CDs were becoming the norm, but Nintendo backed out at the last minute. Sony took the half developed prototype, removed the SNES parts, and marketed it as its own console. The idea of the circle being a confirm button is probably a holdover from the old days!
That's great. But why the captions of the buttons on the bottom of the screen don't get switched as well?
I have the Asian version (O == Confirm , X == Cancel), and when I did the switch they really swapped but the captions down the screen still said "Confirm" for O and "Cancel" for X.
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