Warning: this article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Update: While neither Lucasfilm nor Colin Trevorrow have commented on the leak, The AV Club reports it's been able to independently verify the Episode IX script is legitimate. Take that for what you will. The original story is below: According to director J.J. Abrams himself, his version of Star Wars: Episode IX is completely different from the one envisioned by Colin Trevorrow. Abrams recently revealed he and co-writer Chris Terrio started from scratch when they took over the sequel and began writing what became The Rise of Skywalker. Now we may have a better idea of Trevorrow's original plans for the final Skywalker Saga movie, at least if a purported script leak is to be believed. Via Esquire, a new discussion thread on Reddit's /StarWarsLeaks board recaps a YouTube video posted by Robert Meyer Burnett. In the video, Burnett claims to have come into possession of a screenplay draft (dated December 16, 2016) by Trevorrow and co-writer Derek Connolly. As with recent rumors about the supposed "JJ Cut" of The Rise of Skywalker, there's no way of knowing whether this script leak is legitimate. But taken at face value, the leak does paint a very different picture of what might have been for Episode IX. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/09/what-is-the-jj-cut-of-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-ign-now"] According to the video, Trevorrow and Connolly's working title for Episode IX was "Star Wars: Duel of the Fates." The plot differs quite a bit from The Rise of Skywalker, opening in a time when the First Order has all but completely dominated the galaxy. Communication between planets has been cut off, leading the Resistance to hijack a Star Destroyer and launch a surprise attack on Coruscant (now ruled by Chancellor Hux) in order to activate a hidden Jedi beacon that can pierce the First Order's communication blockade and rally the Resistance's allies. Perhaps the most notable difference is that Emperor Palpatine isn't the main villain of the story. In this version, Palpatine stayed dead after the events of Return of the Jedi. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren is shown searching Darth Vader's castle on Mustafar and being haunted by the ghost of Luke Skywalker. Ren eventually discovers a holocron left behind by Palpatine, one containing a message to be played in the event of Palpatine's death. The recorded message directs Darth Vader to seek out Palpatine's master, Tor Valum (it's unclear whether Valum is meant to be the same character as Darth Plagueis), and complete his training in the Dark Side. Palpatine clearly didn't anticipate Vader would be the one to kill him, but Ren is happy to seek out Valum in his grandfather's place. In general, Luke seems to play a bigger role in this version, as his ghost simultaneously seeks to draw Ben Solo back to the light and help Rey complete her training. The script also sticks closer thematically to The Last Jedi, with both Rey and Ben voicing a desire to move past the outdated dichotomy between Jedi and Sith. Even Leia refers to Rey as "something new" and urges her to chart her own path. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-every-jedi-and-every-sith-ever&captions=true"] In another major shift, Duel of the Fates doesn't reveal Rey to be Palpatine's granddaughter, but maintains her status as "no one." Instead, the big reveal is that Kylo Ren murdered Rey's parents at the behest of Supreme Leader Snoke. The script culminates in a final battle between Rey and Kylo Ren on Mortis (a mystical planet in the ethereal realm of the Force, as seen on Star Wars: The Clone Wars). The ghosts of Luke, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda appear in one final attempt to redeem Ben, but unlike in The Rise of Skywalker, he's too far gone to be saved. The leak contains a number of other interesting details, including a grotesque description of Tor Valum as a 7000 year-old Lovecraftian creature, Kylo Ren forging a new mask of Mandalorian metal and then battling a hallucination of Darth Vader (Dagobah cave-style), Chewbacca flying an X-Wing during the Battle of Coruscant, and Lando being called upon to rally the galaxy's smugglers to aid the Resistance. Again, unless Lucasfilm or Trevorrow elect to comment, there's no way of knowing whether this leak is legitimate or simply an elaborate work of fan-fiction. Do you think it's real? Should Episode IX have followed Trevorrow's supposed story? Let us know what you think in the comments below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/which-franchise-stuck-the-landing-the-best-star-wars-game-of-thrones-or-marvel-what-to-watch"] Regardless of whether this leak is real, we do know there were some major scenes cut from The Rise of Skywalker, including scenes that reveal more about how Palpatine survived. Actor Dominic Monaghan recently voiced his desire for a director's cut version of Episode IX. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Update: While neither Lucasfilm nor Colin Trevorrow have commented on the leak, The AV Club reports it's been able to independently verify the Episode IX script is legitimate. Take that for what you will. The original story is below: According to director J.J. Abrams himself, his version of Star Wars: Episode IX is completely different from the one envisioned by Colin Trevorrow. Abrams recently revealed he and co-writer Chris Terrio started from scratch when they took over the sequel and began writing what became The Rise of Skywalker. Now we may have a better idea of Trevorrow's original plans for the final Skywalker Saga movie, at least if a purported script leak is to be believed. Via Esquire, a new discussion thread on Reddit's /StarWarsLeaks board recaps a YouTube video posted by Robert Meyer Burnett. In the video, Burnett claims to have come into possession of a screenplay draft (dated December 16, 2016) by Trevorrow and co-writer Derek Connolly. As with recent rumors about the supposed "JJ Cut" of The Rise of Skywalker, there's no way of knowing whether this script leak is legitimate. But taken at face value, the leak does paint a very different picture of what might have been for Episode IX. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/09/what-is-the-jj-cut-of-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-ign-now"] According to the video, Trevorrow and Connolly's working title for Episode IX was "Star Wars: Duel of the Fates." The plot differs quite a bit from The Rise of Skywalker, opening in a time when the First Order has all but completely dominated the galaxy. Communication between planets has been cut off, leading the Resistance to hijack a Star Destroyer and launch a surprise attack on Coruscant (now ruled by Chancellor Hux) in order to activate a hidden Jedi beacon that can pierce the First Order's communication blockade and rally the Resistance's allies. Perhaps the most notable difference is that Emperor Palpatine isn't the main villain of the story. In this version, Palpatine stayed dead after the events of Return of the Jedi. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren is shown searching Darth Vader's castle on Mustafar and being haunted by the ghost of Luke Skywalker. Ren eventually discovers a holocron left behind by Palpatine, one containing a message to be played in the event of Palpatine's death. The recorded message directs Darth Vader to seek out Palpatine's master, Tor Valum (it's unclear whether Valum is meant to be the same character as Darth Plagueis), and complete his training in the Dark Side. Palpatine clearly didn't anticipate Vader would be the one to kill him, but Ren is happy to seek out Valum in his grandfather's place. In general, Luke seems to play a bigger role in this version, as his ghost simultaneously seeks to draw Ben Solo back to the light and help Rey complete her training. The script also sticks closer thematically to The Last Jedi, with both Rey and Ben voicing a desire to move past the outdated dichotomy between Jedi and Sith. Even Leia refers to Rey as "something new" and urges her to chart her own path. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-every-jedi-and-every-sith-ever&captions=true"] In another major shift, Duel of the Fates doesn't reveal Rey to be Palpatine's granddaughter, but maintains her status as "no one." Instead, the big reveal is that Kylo Ren murdered Rey's parents at the behest of Supreme Leader Snoke. The script culminates in a final battle between Rey and Kylo Ren on Mortis (a mystical planet in the ethereal realm of the Force, as seen on Star Wars: The Clone Wars). The ghosts of Luke, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda appear in one final attempt to redeem Ben, but unlike in The Rise of Skywalker, he's too far gone to be saved. The leak contains a number of other interesting details, including a grotesque description of Tor Valum as a 7000 year-old Lovecraftian creature, Kylo Ren forging a new mask of Mandalorian metal and then battling a hallucination of Darth Vader (Dagobah cave-style), Chewbacca flying an X-Wing during the Battle of Coruscant, and Lando being called upon to rally the galaxy's smugglers to aid the Resistance. Again, unless Lucasfilm or Trevorrow elect to comment, there's no way of knowing whether this leak is legitimate or simply an elaborate work of fan-fiction. Do you think it's real? Should Episode IX have followed Trevorrow's supposed story? Let us know what you think in the comments below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/which-franchise-stuck-the-landing-the-best-star-wars-game-of-thrones-or-marvel-what-to-watch"] Regardless of whether this leak is real, we do know there were some major scenes cut from The Rise of Skywalker, including scenes that reveal more about how Palpatine survived. Actor Dominic Monaghan recently voiced his desire for a director's cut version of Episode IX. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Netflix has renewed You for Season 3, the company announced Tuesday. The 10-episode season will debut in 2021. Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti will return to reprise their respective roles as Joe Goldberg and Love Quinn. Co-creators Sara Gamble and Greg Berlanti are also back as executive producers, with Gamble serving as showrunner.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=you-season-2&captions=true"]

Season 1 of You was based on the Caroline Kepnes novel of the same name; Season 2 was based on the sequel, Hidden Bodies. Kepnes is currently working on a third book in the series, according to Rolling Stone, with a fourth planned as well.

IGN's You Season 2 review said it "continues to shock and delight" in a season that's "even more entertaining than the first."

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/18/igns-best-tv-series-of-2019"]

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

Netflix has renewed You for Season 3, the company announced Tuesday. The 10-episode season will debut in 2021. Penn Badgley and Victoria Pedretti will return to reprise their respective roles as Joe Goldberg and Love Quinn. Co-creators Sara Gamble and Greg Berlanti are also back as executive producers, with Gamble serving as showrunner.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=you-season-2&captions=true"]

Season 1 of You was based on the Caroline Kepnes novel of the same name; Season 2 was based on the sequel, Hidden Bodies. Kepnes is currently working on a third book in the series, according to Rolling Stone, with a fourth planned as well.

IGN's You Season 2 review said it "continues to shock and delight" in a season that's "even more entertaining than the first."

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/18/igns-best-tv-series-of-2019"]

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

At the Television Critics Association's winter press tour, Amazon revealed the main cast for its upcoming television series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Here is the list of actors officially announced by the streamer: Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] The Head of Amazon Studios, Jennifer Salke, made the announcement, but would not specify which characters the actors will be playing or when the series will premiere. In recent news, we learned that Aramayo was reportedly set to play a young hero named Beldor. Aramayo is replacing Black Mirror's Will Poulter, who left the project after scheduling difficulties. Production is set to begin in February in New Zealand. Series showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay had this to say about the casting announcement. "After undertaking an extensive global search, we are delighted finally to reveal the first group of brilliant performers who will take part in Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series,” they said. “These exceptionally talented women and men are more than just our actors: they are the newest members of an ever-expanding creative family that is now working tirelessly to bring Middle-earth to life anew for fans and audiences worldwide." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/19/lord-of-the-rings-series-gets-early-season-2-renewal-from-amazon-ign-now"] Amazon's Lord of the Rings has already been renewed for a second season. [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Update 3/3: Actor Maxim Baldry (Years and Years) has reportedly signed on to play a lead role in Amazon's upcoming Lord of the Rings series, which is currently in production in New Zealand. Per Deadline, Baldry was linked to the series last fall, however, he did not have a deal in place, which was why he wasn't announced at the Television Critics Association winter press tour by the Head of Amazon Studios, Jennifer Salke with the rest of the cast. Read on to see who else has been officially cast. [poilib element="accentDivider"] At the Television Critics Association's winter press tour, Amazon revealed the main cast for its upcoming television series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Here is the list of actors officially announced by the streamer: Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] The Head of Amazon Studios, Jennifer Salke, made the announcement, but would not specify which characters the actors will be playing or when the series will premiere. In recent news, we learned that Aramayo was reportedly set to play a young hero named Beldor. Aramayo is replacing Black Mirror's Will Poulter, who left the project after scheduling difficulties. Production is set to begin in February in New Zealand. Series showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay had this to say about the casting announcement. "After undertaking an extensive global search, we are delighted finally to reveal the first group of brilliant performers who will take part in Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series,” they said. “These exceptionally talented women and men are more than just our actors: they are the newest members of an ever-expanding creative family that is now working tirelessly to bring Middle-earth to life anew for fans and audiences worldwide." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/19/lord-of-the-rings-series-gets-early-season-2-renewal-from-amazon-ign-now"] Amazon's Lord of the Rings has already been renewed for a second season. [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Sony made a surprising announcement before the end of 2019 — an official $29 add-on for the DualShock 4, the Back Button Attachment. A somewhat cumbersome addition to the controller that adds backtouch paddles, making the DualShock more akin to the Xbox Elite Controller or various other third-party gamepads. I’ve been using it for a little over a week, and while it took some getting used to after 20-something years of the familiar DualShock form, I’ve actually grown to love using the extra buttons, and hope that it indicates what we might expect with the PS5’s controller.

What Is the PS4 Back-Button Attachment?

Sony’s newest peripheral is an attachment that plugs into the DualShock 4’s EXT port and headphone jack (it includes a passthrough if you still want to plug in a mic and/or headphones). It includes two additional buttons, which fan out from the center of the controller and rest against the handles of the DualShock, meeting in the middle at a circular OLED screen, which can be pressed in to program or view which buttons these two new ones represent. And those two buttons can be programmed to pretty much replicate every button on the DualShock 4, whether they be face buttons, triggers, or directional pad...directions.

A Cumbersome, But Comfortable, Attachment

I didn’t have the best first impression of the attachment — it’s meant to snugly fit onto the DualShock as if it were originally part of the controller (more on that in a bit), which means a bit of finesse is required when plugging it in. I found myself worried I’d even break it as I tried to piece it together the first handful of times, but once I got the hang of it, I admired how durable the attachment feels when plugged in. It adds only a little weight to the controller and quickly and naturally felt right in my grip of the DualShock. Programming it is a breeze once it’s properly synced to your controller, as the OLED screen showcases the programmed inputs and can quickly cycle through the possible inputs when in its programming state. The buttons themselves have a welcome click, and have never felt mushy at all. Being so used to the DualShock as originally designed, I gripped the attachment loosely at first, worried I’d be accidentally clicking those buttons all the time. But the new buttons are smartly balanced — they have a good click to them, but they also don’t depress at the slightest touch. You won’t be able to grip your controller in tight frustration at a Bloodborne boss battle, per se, but the attachment allows for a much more comfortable grip than I initially expected to have. Despite my initial concerns about snapping off its connector, I’ve really appreciated the build quality of the attachment. Obviously built to mesh with PlayStation’s original design for the DualShock 4, the Back Button Attachment is sturdy and perfectly lined up to fit with the DualShock. [poilib element="commerceCta" json="%7B%22image%22%3A%7B%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F01%2F14%2FBackButton1579032719000.jpg%22%2C%22styleUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F01%2F14%2FBackButton1579032719000_%7Bsize%7D.jpg%22%2C%22id%22%3A%225e1e2091e4b0e6d43845df53%22%7D%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fr.zdbb.net%2Fu%2Fbjvt%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22DualShock%204%20Back%20Button%20Attachment%22%2C%22store%22%3A%22Amazon%22%2C%22additionalInfo%22%3A%22%22%2C%22ourPick%22%3Afalse%7D"]

Playing With the Back Button Attachment

I’ve primarily chosen to use the back buttons as analogs for L1 and R1, so my trigger fingers never have to leave L2 and R2, while my naturally resting middle fingers can tap these new inputs. And so far it’s worked great, letting me swap weapons on the fly in Fortnite, or for quick taps of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s light R1 attacks. The other best solution, in my personal experience, has been to assign two of the directional buttons to the new inputs to minimize having to move my hand off the left thumbstick. There are some buttons I’d personally never change them to, but allowing the back button to take on any of those inputs is a great accessibility move, and one I’m glad Sony is finally considering more. It did take a minute to get used to, though. I’ve been playing games on a DualShock largely the same way for decades, and so having to retrain my brain suddenly to ignore buttons I’ve used day after day for years was not an overnight switch. I’m still occasionally pressing the original L1 or R1 instead of these new buttons, but have enjoyed their convenience as, over time, I use them more and more. Battery is a major consideration with this attachment. The DualShock 4 already has notoriously low battery life, especially compared to other consoles’ controllers, and this new attachment doesn’t help, obviously. It is definitely more of a drain, maybe an hour or so less on average, but I’ve learned to always have a spare DualShock 4 charged lying around after six years, so it hasn’t been much of a hurdle to overcome.

Preparation for the PS5?

And I’m definitely taking the time to get used to the buttons. Not only because I have enjoyed their convenience, but because of my sneaking suspicion about the attachment itself. Sony has not officially said anything about the attachment’s implications for the PS5’s new, still unnamed controller, but it feels like a safe bet that at least some version of the controller will feature these same back buttons. Consider the mounting evidence — PS5 controller patents have revealed a version that includes very similar buttons. The same year as a new console’s launch is also a very peculiar time to introduce an official, first-party peripheral — an extremely rare thing this generation — that introduces something Xbox Elite controllers have had for years now. Maybe it’s just PlayStation wanting to offer some parity with competitors and third-party controller makers. Maybe I’m just Charlie Kelly trying to uncover Pepe Silvia. But introducing this peripheral now feels like a great way to ensure players can not only become familiar with the layout but possibly even use their DualShock 4’s with the PS5. After all, it’s a move Xbox is planning with Xbox One controllers on Series X, and to allow the 106 million PS4 owners to use their DualShocks in a full capacity next-gen is not a bad reason to introduce the peripheral. Whether the Back Button Attachment is a sign of a PS5 future to come, or just a neat, additional offering from Sony, I’m very glad to have it. Its arrival may be as odd as first trying to plug in the attachment, but after a few days playing with it, it already feels like an integral part of my PlayStation playtime. And if it’s here to stay, I’d welcome a world where it’s built into the controller.

Sony made a surprising announcement before the end of 2019 — an official $29 add-on for the DualShock 4, the Back Button Attachment. A somewhat cumbersome addition to the controller that adds backtouch paddles, making the DualShock more akin to the Xbox Elite Controller or various other third-party gamepads. I’ve been using it for a little over a week, and while it took some getting used to after 20-something years of the familiar DualShock form, I’ve actually grown to love using the extra buttons, and hope that it indicates what we might expect with the PS5’s controller.

What Is the PS4 Back-Button Attachment?

Sony’s newest peripheral is an attachment that plugs into the DualShock 4’s EXT port and headphone jack (it includes a passthrough if you still want to plug in a mic and/or headphones). It includes two additional buttons, which fan out from the center of the controller and rest against the handles of the DualShock, meeting in the middle at a circular OLED screen, which can be pressed in to program or view which buttons these two new ones represent. And those two buttons can be programmed to pretty much replicate every button on the DualShock 4, whether they be face buttons, triggers, or directional pad...directions.

A Cumbersome, But Comfortable, Attachment

I didn’t have the best first impression of the attachment — it’s meant to snugly fit onto the DualShock as if it were originally part of the controller (more on that in a bit), which means a bit of finesse is required when plugging it in. I found myself worried I’d even break it as I tried to piece it together the first handful of times, but once I got the hang of it, I admired how durable the attachment feels when plugged in. It adds only a little weight to the controller and quickly and naturally felt right in my grip of the DualShock. Programming it is a breeze once it’s properly synced to your controller, as the OLED screen showcases the programmed inputs and can quickly cycle through the possible inputs when in its programming state. The buttons themselves have a welcome click, and have never felt mushy at all. Being so used to the DualShock as originally designed, I gripped the attachment loosely at first, worried I’d be accidentally clicking those buttons all the time. But the new buttons are smartly balanced — they have a good click to them, but they also don’t depress at the slightest touch. You won’t be able to grip your controller in tight frustration at a Bloodborne boss battle, per se, but the attachment allows for a much more comfortable grip than I initially expected to have. Despite my initial concerns about snapping off its connector, I’ve really appreciated the build quality of the attachment. Obviously built to mesh with PlayStation’s original design for the DualShock 4, the Back Button Attachment is sturdy and perfectly lined up to fit with the DualShock. [poilib element="commerceCta" json="%7B%22image%22%3A%7B%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F01%2F14%2FBackButton1579032719000.jpg%22%2C%22styleUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F01%2F14%2FBackButton1579032719000_%7Bsize%7D.jpg%22%2C%22id%22%3A%225e1e2091e4b0e6d43845df53%22%7D%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fr.zdbb.net%2Fu%2Fbjvt%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22DualShock%204%20Back%20Button%20Attachment%22%2C%22store%22%3A%22Amazon%22%2C%22additionalInfo%22%3A%22%22%2C%22ourPick%22%3Afalse%7D"]

Playing With the Back Button Attachment

I’ve primarily chosen to use the back buttons as analogs for L1 and R1, so my trigger fingers never have to leave L2 and R2, while my naturally resting middle fingers can tap these new inputs. And so far it’s worked great, letting me swap weapons on the fly in Fortnite, or for quick taps of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s light R1 attacks. The other best solution, in my personal experience, has been to assign two of the directional buttons to the new inputs to minimize having to move my hand off the left thumbstick. There are some buttons I’d personally never change them to, but allowing the back button to take on any of those inputs is a great accessibility move, and one I’m glad Sony is finally considering more. It did take a minute to get used to, though. I’ve been playing games on a DualShock largely the same way for decades, and so having to retrain my brain suddenly to ignore buttons I’ve used day after day for years was not an overnight switch. I’m still occasionally pressing the original L1 or R1 instead of these new buttons, but have enjoyed their convenience as, over time, I use them more and more. Battery is a major consideration with this attachment. The DualShock 4 already has notoriously low battery life, especially compared to other consoles’ controllers, and this new attachment doesn’t help, obviously. It is definitely more of a drain, maybe an hour or so less on average, but I’ve learned to always have a spare DualShock 4 charged lying around after six years, so it hasn’t been much of a hurdle to overcome.

Preparation for the PS5?

And I’m definitely taking the time to get used to the buttons. Not only because I have enjoyed their convenience, but because of my sneaking suspicion about the attachment itself. Sony has not officially said anything about the attachment’s implications for the PS5’s new, still unnamed controller, but it feels like a safe bet that at least some version of the controller will feature these same back buttons. Consider the mounting evidence — PS5 controller patents have revealed a version that includes very similar buttons. The same year as a new console’s launch is also a very peculiar time to introduce an official, first-party peripheral — an extremely rare thing this generation — that introduces something Xbox Elite controllers have had for years now. Maybe it’s just PlayStation wanting to offer some parity with competitors and third-party controller makers. Maybe I’m just Charlie Kelly trying to uncover Pepe Silvia. But introducing this peripheral now feels like a great way to ensure players can not only become familiar with the layout but possibly even use their DualShock 4’s with the PS5. After all, it’s a move Xbox is planning with Xbox One controllers on Series X, and to allow the 106 million PS4 owners to use their DualShocks in a full capacity next-gen is not a bad reason to introduce the peripheral. Whether the Back Button Attachment is a sign of a PS5 future to come, or just a neat, additional offering from Sony, I’m very glad to have it. Its arrival may be as odd as first trying to plug in the attachment, but after a few days playing with it, it already feels like an integral part of my PlayStation playtime. And if it’s here to stay, I’d welcome a world where it’s built into the controller.

PlayStation is giving its players a way to look back on their PS4 statistics from 2019. In a post on the PlayStation blog, Sony announced the PlayStation 2019 Wrap-Up, which shows statistics like the number of games played, hours spent in your top three games, and more. If you have an active PSN account and played at least 10 hours on PS4 last year, you're eligible to see your statistics on PlayStation's website. In addition to hour-based statistics, players can also see how many trophies they earned last year and how many days out of the year they logged on. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-playstation-4-games&captions=true"] The data also shows your most-played genre of 2019. To pair with that, PlayStation is giving all players a free dynamic theme and seven avatars to match the most popular video game genres, including themes based on action-adventure games, sports titles, fighters, and more. After reflecting on 2019, PlayStation fans can start to look ahead to this year, which promises the start of the next generation with PlayStation 5 and anticipated PS4 titles like The Last of Us Part II and Final Fantasy VII, which was just delayed from March to April. In other Sony news, the company recently announced that PlayStation is skipping E3 for the second year in a row. While you wait for more PS5 news, check out these PS5 concepts that were built in Dreams. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/08/ps5-news-rumors-and-predictions-beyond-episode-625"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

PlayStation is giving its players a way to look back on their PS4 statistics from 2019. In a post on the PlayStation blog, Sony announced the PlayStation 2019 Wrap-Up, which shows statistics like the number of games played, hours spent in your top three games, and more. If you have an active PSN account and played at least 10 hours on PS4 last year, you're eligible to see your statistics on PlayStation's website. In addition to hour-based statistics, players can also see how many trophies they earned last year and how many days out of the year they logged on. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-playstation-4-games&captions=true"] The data also shows your most-played genre of 2019. To pair with that, PlayStation is giving all players a free dynamic theme and seven avatars to match the most popular video game genres, including themes based on action-adventure games, sports titles, fighters, and more. After reflecting on 2019, PlayStation fans can start to look ahead to this year, which promises the start of the next generation with PlayStation 5 and anticipated PS4 titles like The Last of Us Part II and Final Fantasy VII, which was just delayed from March to April. In other Sony news, the company recently announced that PlayStation is skipping E3 for the second year in a row. While you wait for more PS5 news, check out these PS5 concepts that were built in Dreams. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/08/ps5-news-rumors-and-predictions-beyond-episode-625"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.