PS4’s DualShock 4 light bar can’t be turned off

Stop the press! The lightbar on the top of the DualShock 4 controller does not turn off! The news comes directly from Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida who confirmed it via Twitter over the weekend.

The original question seemed to stem from concern that the lightbar would drain the DualShock 4's battery quicker. However, concern has since grown over the lighbar's possible reflection in glossy TV screens. There's worry that when playing a game in a dark room, the light would reflect off of a glossy screen, ruining any sense of immersion.

Admittedly, this really seemed like a non-issue at first. I don't game in the extreme dark and I don't have a glossy screen — but maybe I'm in the minority?

Things get a bit more intriguing when you take into account that the inability to turn off or dim the light likely stems from Sony's original plans to include the PS Eye with the PS4 — an idea that was later scratched to get the PS4 down to a more reasonable price. With such big plans for the PS Eye early in the development cycle, it's understandable why Sony hadn't thought to actually turn off the light. Hopefully, Sony will be able to patch in some sort of fix for the issue following the launch of the system. If not, some good ol' fashion duct tape should do the trick.

Will being unable to dim or turn off the light bar affect your decision when choosing the PS4 or Xbox One?