Ability to dim DualShock 4 lightbar coming, but you'll never be able to turn it off

An upcoming PlayStation 4 firmware update will allow users to dim the lightbar on the DualShock 4 controller, but it's not possible to completely turn the light off, PlayStation president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida told Polygon.

"We are working to dim it," Yoshida said. "I'm not talking about the percentage, but you'll be able to make it very, very dark.

"We need to keep it on, even if it's dark, because that's the only way to tell the controller is switched on. It's kind of required."

The lights in the lightbar can be tracked by the PlayStation 4 camera. It can also light up in different colors to designate which controller is for which player in a multiplayer game.

Yoshida said once dimmed, the reflections from the lightbar will be "much dimmer." He also pointed out that people who have theorized that the controller's battery life is significantly impacted by the LED lights used in the lightbar, are wrong.

"The LED [power usage] is much lower than people think," he said. "We know the DualShock 4 lasts less than the DualShock 3, but that's because there is much more in the DualShock 4, like the touchpad."