If you're a console player who typically plays on Xbox One but wants to give PlayStation 4 a try, accessory manufacturer Hori has an ingenious idea for you to try out. Often, one of the biggest hurdles for people not used to consoles they've never played are the controllers. Switching from Xbox One to PlayStation 4 can be jarring, and thus Hori has created a solution: an officially licensed PlayStation 4 wireless controller that's shaped like an Xbox One controller. It’s nearly the same—you only really have to get used to the button labels, which go from letters and colors to shapes. Easy!
Hori's Onyx Wireless Controller will come to stores later this month in the U.K., with the same asymmetrical design of the original Xbox One and Xbox 360 controllers, Bluetooth support, and a unique polish all its own. However, the circle button appears to slide off the edge of the controller as if it was tossed into the design without a second thought. Still, it's the grand scheme of the design that counts, really. This licensed controller is also devoid of a headphone jack, speaker, and the light bar that a regular Dual Shock 4 controller boasts, but it's equal to the original in most other ways. The Hori controller loses a bit of the "real" version's functionality, but it's a fair trade-off if you want a more comfortable controller similar to the Xbox One's.
Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a North American release date for the product at this point, though the European PlayStation Blog announced its arrival to store shelves in the U.K. on Jan. 15. Luckily, these types of gimmicky, novelty controllers like the light-up Rock Candy line and other awesome-looking peripherals do tend to end up in North American retailers, so this product probably has a good shot at showing up at a game store near you, even if it isn’t anytime soon.
In the meantime, if you play different consoles regularly and need to get acclimated still, practice makes perfect.
