Playstation 4 DualShock 4 Controller’s Lightbar Doesn’t Turn Off

In recent times, it seemed like Sony could do nothing wrong. They went straight for the jugular in announcing the PS4 would not prevent used games or install restrictive DRM as a shot at Microsoft, they brought in many indie developers to bring games to their PS4 and Vita systems and they will receive money directly from Microsoft for every Xbox One sold. It also helps that the DualShock 4 is getting praise for its improved feel and weight, but one small issue has arisen.

According to Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida’s Twitter account, the DualShock 4’s lightbar cannot be turned off during play. While it may not seem like a huge deal, depending on the reflective nature of a flat screen TV, it could become a little bit of a nuisance.

Example:

It may be simply a part of the Playstation Move for the screen to capture that much of the light coming off the DualShock 4, but it still seems like a feature that should be optional. Not because of concerns for using too much battery power (the LED lights don’t produce that much), but because local multiplayer games could become quite a nuisance with four separate color beams reflecting off your screen.

It’s possible that there will be a firmware patch in the future to correct this situation, but for now it seems like the DualShock 4’s color-coding system will be mandatory for PS4’s at launch. It’s nothing that a piece of duct tape can’t fix, but it really shouldn’t have to come down to that.