Sony PlayStation 1 controller, Dual Analog and Dualshock

The Sony PlayStation (1994) was originally designed as a CD expansion to the Super Famicom, not a standalone console. When Nintendo withdrew from the project, Sony decided to release the console themselves. This was undoubtedly a contributor to the fact that the original Sony PlayStation controller bears some resemblance to Nintendo’s layout, even though A, B, X and Y have been replaced by X, O, square and triangle.

The digital directional pad turned out to be too imprecise for adventures in 3D worlds, however, and so Sony introduced the Dual Analog controller in 1997. It had two analogue control sticks. Adding a vibration effect gave rise to the Dualshock (officially known as the DUAL SHOCK) which was introduced later the same year. In addition to the traditional controls, the Dualshock features two analogue joysticks, each with two analogue potentiometers (for the X and Y directions). They can be used to, say, guide the camera in a 3D environment or turn a car’s steering wheel precisely. For many, the racing game Gran Turismo was a key motivator for purchasing a Dualshock, which soon became the standard controller for the PlayStation 1. In 1999, Sony published the game Ape Escape, which was basically unplayable without a Dualshock controller.

The Dualshock design turned out to be so successful that the PlayStation 2 (2000) and 3 (2006) used a very similar-looking controller, even though the PS3’s SIXAXIS and Dualshock 3 were wireless and incorporated motion controls. The PlayStation 4’s (2013) Dualshock 4 has a slightly more contoured design and also includes triggers for the index fingers and a touchpad; the PS5’s (2020) Dualsense retains the same basic layout but changes the design in a more radical manner while adding new features such as haptic feedback.