Claims have emerged that Sony is to abandon its trusty old DualShock controller for its next-generation console. The PS4, it has been said, will come with a newly designed gamepad, one that may feature biometric and/or touchscreen controls.

Games site Computer and Video Games says that a senior source from a development studio spilled the beans. It writes that the new Sony controller has undergone numerous different designs, although none of them resembles the old or current DualShock iterations.

Read: Sony VP hints at spring announcement for PS4, before E3

A separate source told the website that PlayStation engineers have been tasked with finding a control system that emulates "the same user interface philosophies as the PS Vita". The Vita has a touchscreen on the front and a touch panel on the rear, which some games use as an alternative to the conventional control methods.

The claim also suggests that Sony will be looking to further integrate its handheld devices with the main hub of a next-generation machine. At present, only some games feature cross-platform play between the PS Vita and PS3.

CVG also intriguingly writes that the PS4 will be unveiled in a "matter of weeks, not months". Interesting. Very interesting.

Will you miss the DualShock controller? Or has the Xbox 360 controller always been better? Let us know in the comments below...