10 Video Game Console Features NOBODY Used

4. Pressure-Sensitive Buttons - PlayStation 2/3 & Xbox

playstation 3 printer
Microsoft

One of the more interesting and subtle controller features which went away in the last gaming generation was pressure-sensitive buttons - outside of the triggers, of course.

The DualShock 2 and 3 both had pressure sensitivity on the majority of their buttons - namely the D-pad and face buttons - while the original Xbox controller had six pressure-sensitive face buttons, in each case allowing players to perform contextual actions depending on how hard they pressed buttons down.

It was a neat concept for racing and action games, albeit a feature which was only significantly adopted in a small number of titles across generations.

Most famously, the feature was used in the second and third Metal Gear Solid games for sticking-up guards and carrying out CQC, and driving around in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Ultimately few developers did much with button sensitivity, possibly due to many players finding the range of sensitivity too finicky, with Metal Gear Solid 3's button implementation causing many to accidentally murder guards they merely intended to rough up.

It was an interesting option to have, yet one that never really caught on in a major way, and so neither Sony nor Microsoft have continued to support the tech beyond trigger functionality.

In this post: 
Playstation
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.