The Evolution of the PlayStation Controller

“At the time, the Super Nintendo was a big hit, so naturally we wanted Super Nintendo gamers to upgrade to our system,” Goto said. “So management didn’t want the controller to be a radical starting point. They said it had to be a standard type of design, otherwise gamers would accept it. not.

Sony wanted to call it an SNES controller, but it did innovate in a few areas, like a second pair of shoulder buttons to help navigate the 3D world. Since the player had to move his hand from his L1+R1 button to his L2+R2 button, Sony also decided to add a grip his handle to the controller for a smoother transition. .

A button on a PlayStation controller was supposed to represent what that button represents.according to Mr. GotoThe blue cross (or X?) and red circle represent yes and no, the triangle represents the point of view, and the square resembles a sheet of paper, letting the player know the button is for the menu.

This original PlayStation controller makes a comeback on the PlayStation Classic console.

(Image courtesy: Wikipedia/Evan Amos)

playstation dual analog controller

PlayStation’s dual analog controller was the predecessor to DualShock and was the first to introduce twin analog sticks.

It was first released in Japan in 1997 alongside Tobal 2 and Bushido Blade, and included the Rumble feature, the first to be taken out of the North American and European versions.

“We evaluated all the features and decided that for manufacturing reasons, the analog features are the most important for gamers.” Sony spokesperson As for its removal, it doesn’t really matter as DualShock added it and replaced this controller the following year.

The dual analog controller’s twin sticks also had recessed grooves, but the DualShock opted for textured rubber grips with more outward-facing sticks.

Finally, the dual analog controller had a “flightstick mode” that worked in games like MechWarrior 2, Ace Combat 2 and Colony Wars, and was an alternative to the FlightStick analog joystick.

(Image courtesy: Wikipedia/Bollinger)

dual shock

The DualShock replaced the PlayStation’s Dual Analog controller in Japan and North America in 1997, and has been used elsewhere since 1998.

The DualShock has a rumble feature and gets its name from the two vibration motors housed inside the controller’s handle. Ape Escape, released in 1999, was the first game to require DualShock.

The PlayStation 2 was released in 2000, and the original DualShock is compatible with most games, except those that require the DualShock 2’s analog buttons.

(Image courtesy: Amazon)

dual shock 2

The DualShock 2 was released alongside the PlayStation 2 in 2000 and resembled the original DualShock bar, but with some cosmetic changes, a more square connector, and pressure-sensitive analog buttons.

If you don’t like the DualShock 2’s standard black color, you can also purchase it in a variety of colors including satin silver, ceramic white, slate gray and ocean blue.

DualShock 2 works with the original PlayStation and works with PlayStation 3 with 3rd party accessories, but certain games using the Sixaxis feature may not always work properly.

(Image courtesy: Wikipedia/Evan Amos)

Honorable Mention: Boomerang

The PlayStation 3 “boomerang” controller was never released, but it took the world by storm with its innovative boomerang-like design.

It was shown when the PlayStation 3 was announced at E3 2005, but strangely it wasn’t emphasized or focused in the main presentation. It was just sitting in a display case on the show floor.

Sixis replaces this wild design, but the Boomerang legend lives on for many more years.

Sony ultimately commented on the controller, saying it was a design mockup that they wanted to prepare for the PS3 reveal. I decided to adopt a style controller.

Six Axis

Sixaxis was included with the PlayStation 3, launched in 2006. It was Sony’s first official wireless controller, capable of detecting motion in “six degrees of freedom” but lacking the rumble feature.

Games like Warhawk and Lair were designed around the Sixaxis, a much lighter controller due to the lack of rumble.

The DualShock 3 was supposed to be released on the PlayStation 3, but a lawsuit filed by Immersion in 2004 led to Sony removing the rumble feature during the appeals process and sticking with this version for a while.

Immersion sued both Sony and Microsoft for patent infringement over the Rumble feature. Microsoft eventually settled, but Sony decided to continue the fight in court. Sony lost the case, and the ruling resulted in Sony paying Immersion $90.7 million to stop selling the controller in question. In 2007, Sony and Immersion agreed to end the lawsuit and work together to “consider including Immersion technology in PlayStation format products.”

This would allow Sony to finally release the DualShock 3 as originally intended in 2007.

(Image courtesy: Wikipedia/Evan Amos)

dual shock 3

In 2007, a year after the launch of the PlayStation 3 and Sixaxis controller, Sony announced the DualShock 3 at the Tokyo Game Show. It will eventually replace Sixaxis and finally bring back the much-requested haptic feedback.

On top of that, the DualShock 3 wasn’t all that different from the Sixaxis, despite about a 40% increase in weight thanks to the new vibration motor.

Sixaxis was discontinued in 2008 and the DualShock 3 became the standard controller for the PlayStation 3.

playstation move

The PlayStation Move controller was originally released for use with the PlayStation 3 in 2009 and was available during the motion renaissance that also featured the Nintendo Wii Remote and Microsoft Kinect.

The PlayStation Move controller (or wand) had an inertial sensor that could detect movement and a large orb on top that could change color, and was used for tracking by the PlayStation Eye or PlayStation Camera.

PlayStation Move’s review said, “It could be the best motion control system on any current console, but unfortunately the game as it currently offers doesn’t do it technical justice.” .

After release, Move support was built into big titles like Killzone 3, Dead Space: Extraction, and Gran Turismo 5. Many of these used a variety of other accessories, such as a navigation controller that added another analog stick, the PlayStation Move Sharpshooter, a gun controller with a slot for Move, and the PlayStation Move racing wheel.

The PlayStation Move Wand continues to work on PlayStation 4 and is back as a controller option for PlayStation VR.

dual shock 4

The DualShock 4 was released alongside the PlayStation 4 in 2013 and featured a capacitive front touchpad and motion detection, as well as a light bar on top of the controller that could be illuminated in different colors.

The light bar was designed with PlayStation VR in mind, whether it’s flashing red and blue when the cops are chasing you in GTA V or mimicking the motion trackers in Alien Isolation. caused problems before the launch of PlayStation’s VR headset. Because no one really understood why we needed this light bar.

“Tracking lights…it was our department that said we needed it,” says Jed Ashforth, senior designer at SCEE. “It was for VR tracking. Six months ago all this came out and everyone said ‘it’s reflected on TV’ but nobody can tell what it’s for I didn’t have one, so I said, ‘No.'”

The START and SELECT buttons found on all previous PlayStation controllers have been replaced with OPTIONS and SHARE buttons respectively. The SHARE button allows players to quickly upload screenshots, videos, and more.

The twin joysticks are calibrated and recessed like the dual analog controllers. The L2 and R2 buttons were more curved and outward facing than the Dualshock 3’s style.

Around the time the PlayStation 4 Pro launched in 2016, Sony released an upgraded version of the DualShock 4. This allowed me to play while connected to the USB cable (thank you!) and now have a light bar on top of the touchpad. .

dual sense

A PlayStation 5 controller has been revealed and is called DualSense. Said to “bring tactile sensations to PS5 gameplay,” it retains many of the DualShock 4’s features while adding new features and a sleek design.

DualSense has far more advanced haptic feedback and adaptive triggers for the L2 and R2 buttons.

Haptic feedback adds “a variety of powerful sensations you’ll feel while playing, such as the slow grittiness of driving a car through mud.” Adaptive triggers, on the other hand, help “feel the tension of the action, like when you draw a bow and shoot an arrow.”

Additionally, the DualShock 4’s SHARE button will be replaced with a CREATE button, but Sony isn’t ready to fully detail what this change means.

DualSense also features a two-tone design that sets it apart from previous controllers. Light bars are also placed on either side of the touchpad.

dual sense edge

After years of PlayStation fans waiting for an answer to Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Controller, Sony has finally unveiled the DualSense Edge wireless controller for the PlayStation 5.

We don’t know a release date or price yet, but Sony has shared some early details. This includes allowing the player to remap or disable certain inputs, alter stick sensitivity and dead zones to fine-tune aiming, and trigger “travel distance”. If you want to customize your controller for a particular game, Sony has confirmed that there is a way to save multiple control his profiles and switch between them even in the middle of a game.

DualSense Edge comes with three interchangeable stick caps: standard, high dome, and low dome, and two interchangeable sets of rear buttons (half dome and lever), allowing each user to find their ideal Useful for creating controllers. The back button can also be assigned to act as any other button input.

DualSense Edge retains all the features of standard DualSense, including haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, built-in microphone, and motion control. Each controller comes with a USB Type-C braided cable and carrying case. Charge the controller while inside.

Updated on August 24, 2022 to reflect the announcement of DualSense Edge

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @Adam Bankhurst and Cramp.