Sony confirms PS3 controller redesign

In an unfortunate turn of events for the legions of Australian video game fans, Sony's president of the Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios division Phil Harrison announced today that the upcoming PlayStation 3 controller will be unable to pull double duty as a precision kangaroo killer. Apparently the boomerang/banana shape that we've come to hate despise detest accept as the PS3's major drawback is being "tossed" in favor of an unspecified redesign (NOT the one pictured here) that will be unveiled at E3 in May, mentioned Harrison in a speech that was mainly about the Xbox Live-like PlayStation Network Platform. There's a lot of pressure on Sony here to unveil something appealing for several reasons: they need to placate the vocal minority of ravenous fanboys who publicly slammed the initial design, but more importantly, they need to prove they can outdesign a bunch of very talented gaming blog readers.

[Thanks, Mike]

[Chris @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:13PM]

Whew. I'm sure glad that that circular controller isn't the ps3 controller. that would definately suckkk.

[Desert @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:15PM]

Way to cave under the fanboy pressure and get rid of something that probably felt really good and replace it with something that looks 'cool' for the kiddies.

[Shmoe @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:23PM]

Man, I was looking forward to seeing the lesbian dildo in action.

[Sam @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:25PM]

Well I am glad that Sony is changing the design. The concept controller looked kinda a peice garbage.

[David @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:26PM]

I was kind of looking forward to that Boomerang controller, looked very ergonoical and comforable to hold.

[narco @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:29PM]

I'm glad that the boomerang design isn't the one -- it gives me hope that the PS3 design isn't the design either. But man, when I saw that picture on this post my heart nearly dropped -- that thing looks horribly uncomfortable.

I will be attending E3 this year, so maybe I'll get to see it for myself.

Fishes,
narco.

[Jamie @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:30PM]

Its going to be hard for them to beat the 360 wireless pad, Thats sheer perfection.

Who wants to bet that sony will copy the position of the two analog pressure-point triggers?? Two in the middle of the pad never really worked did it!

[aleandro @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:31PM]

dude i thougth that was the design when I read the title...wow engadget that was messed up...

[Neester @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:34PM]

PS3 has wireless controllers too - the PSP is said to be a remote as well as a seperate console...

[valentino @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:34PM]

I knew they were not going to ship the PlayStation 3 with that ugly controller and don't be surprised if they redesign the console to. And even if they delay the PlayStation 3 like they did they are still going to win the battle because the name says it all they are Sony and people know that they did a great job with the PlayStation 2 and heck they are going to do a excellent job with the PlayStation 3. Almost 95% of the people i know says that they are waiting on the PlayStation 3 so lets see what happens. And one more thing in the past holiday when Xbox 360 was out the PlayStation 2 sold more then 100,000 units so a 5 year old console was still doing competition with the Xbox 360 jajaja.

[Josh Warner @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:34PM]

I liked the "boomerang" design. From what I could see, it would have been the most ergonomic controller yet released by ANY platform - it just had an unfortunate resemblance to a particular Australian weapon.

I absolutely despised the dualshock controller (cue the flamers) because its design was absolutely terrible from an ergonomic standpoint. There was simply no comfortable way to hold the thing. The "boomerang" looked like it had fixed that, but now it got torn apart by fanboys. Oh well. The new design will likely look, but not feel, better.

[funkbass @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:43PM]

"Way to cave under the fanboy pressure and get rid of something that probably felt really good and replace it with something that looks 'cool' for the kiddies."


I'd say that this is not a caving-in move but rather a necessary one considering their recent loss in court for the dual shock controller design. I think it has more to do with that than anything else.

Besides, all companies will make changes to design and function of their product based upon what the consumers are saying. This is not to say that they are weak, it's just that they are a company! Have you ever heard of a movie that is released without going through alterations upon feedback from a test audience?

So what's the big deal?

[imnotafanboy @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:53PM]

The NEW PS3 controller is a wireless wand thing that has motion detection, and an add on bit that has an analogue type stick on it.

[tp @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:00PM]

it doesnt matter what new and crazy design sony will come out with. they suck ass, and will always suck ass. xbox 360 is da bomb shit. end of discussion.

[zverg @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:01PM]

#11 (imnotafanboy) - you forgot to mention the anti-consumer rootkit DRM that they added onto the new model as a "feature".

Hey way to go engadget though, I read a post about Sony without feeling like you were just totally bashing them! I better go read it and make sure.

[sracer @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:10PM]

I don't get it. Up until week or so ago, Sony was ready for a Spring launch...that the only hold-back was copy protection issues with Blu-Ray drives. Now they are talking about a new controller? I thought that these would've already in the process of being manufactured for a Spring launch.

Is it possible that Sony lied? LOL

[BitSlash @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:13PM]

funkbass is right.

Due to Sony's ongoing appeal with Immersion, (which they have a very slim chance of winning) they will have to redesign their controller incase they lose (the Dual Shock controller uses Immersion's haptic feedback technology)

And to keep any flamers at bay, Immersion isn't a patent troll; they produce many quality gamepads/joysticks

[chadherrella @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:16PM]

That controller sucks...period...P-E-...period!

[soundboy64 @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:18PM]

I won't be surprised if they do something similar to Nintendo's Revolution and they've just been extra tight lipped about it. The EyeToy may even become the controlling interface.... ?

[cycomachead @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:21PM]

I didnt mind the orignal controler design

just glad its not the picture

[cycomachead @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:24PM]

I have to add this



Will Sony cut the frikin crap!!!!!!!!
With their formats and w/ all this PSP BS

[m13a8 @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:50PM]

I'd rather have the boomerang than the bowling ball. Glad we're not getting either.

[Bolt @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:03PM]

funkbass (10) and Bitslash (14) are both somewhat wrong.

The patent court case with Immersion is not about the industrial design of controller, its about using vibrating motors to create haptic sensations. The original Immersion patent does not even mention video games, it was about mouse if I am correct.

To comply with the court ruling Sony has about 3 choices: 1. take motors out of the controller and forget about all that vibrating stuff; 2. license the patent from Immersion, i.e. pay them money on every PS3 unit shipped and 3. take motors out but leave software libraries for haptic in dev kits and leave it up to third-party device makers to make vibrating controllers for PS3.

Note that NONE of these choices really require any controller re-design. On the other hand if Sony decides to drop haptic feedback they can design controller differently taking advantage of the fact that there is no motors inside.

[atncgnito @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:13PM]

Could you guys stop using the word fanboy? It sounds creepy and gay

Sorry, to interrrupt,, back to your regularly scheduled progam

[I Love Lagar @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:13PM]

I don't understand why people are so shocked! When Sony first unveiled the PS3 controller, it clearly had a sign next to it saying "Conceptual Design"; thus they implied from early on that the design was to subject to change. Now with the dislikes by fanboys and moreover the whole patent issue, they made use of that word conceptual.

[XGM @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:27PM]

What its gonna me a mouse and a WSAD type keyboard with a few more buttons ? NICE

[Bao @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:38PM]

Ok I don't understand...Why mess with the controller when there isn't anything wrong with it? Geez why don't they just give us all mini-arcade controllers and be done with it.

[Alan @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:46PM]

Could you imagine if it was the one in the picture. Massive hand cramps in about 5 minutes, loss of finger movement in 10... The games would be endurance not skill :)

[Jarmayn @ Mar 22nd 2006 10:05PM]

Well one thing for sure, at the start of noticing the post, I thought that was going to be the new PS3 controller, when I kept reading, what a relief! I have to say tho, the PS3 controller we�ve all seen that long one doesn�t even look that good, infact the PS2 controller I think looks better � so I�m glad sony has finally realized and that they�re going to change it, hopefully for the better I can�t wait to see it.. FREE HTC UNIVERSAL @ wwe.e-fuze.com

[Thomas Stewart Von Drashek @ Mar 22nd 2006 10:14PM]

By displaying "dorky" looking controller now, new model will look that much better. Speaking of "Root kits", Sony just released another today.Signed:PHYSICIAN THOMAS STEWART VON DRASHEK M.D.

[Thomas Stewart Von Drashek @ Mar 22nd 2006 10:15PM]

By displaying "dorky" looking controller now, new model will look that much better. Speaking of "Root kits", Sony just released another today.Signed:PHYSICIAN THOMAS STEWART VON DRASHEK M.D.

[Dull @ Mar 22nd 2006 10:36PM]

It's still funny, right after Nintendo unveils their controller for Revolution (GDC), Sony decides that the original joypad for the PS3 is just a concept.

[jamesbrown @ Mar 22nd 2006 11:20PM]

can you do us a favor and stop putting up pictures that you know are fake?

[ZeXr0 @ Mar 22nd 2006 11:23PM]

Should be great if the controler was retro-compatible. I really like the ps2 controler.

[plufim @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:46AM]

Well kids, get ready for the same crap nintendo fans had to put up with last year for the next few months - thousands upon thousands of badly rendered fan mockups until the final design is revealed.

NOW YOU WILL FEEL OUR PAIN.

[John @ Mar 23rd 2006 12:51AM]

dull is stupid, not only has the controller been a concept since the ps3 was first unveiled, the console design itself was a concept from the start so dont pull that crap that they did it just because of the revolution controller, my money says it gonna be nothing like the revolution controller, they prolly just changing the casing to remove the rumble motors and making space to accomidate some batteries

[ClayMeow @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:07AM]

I agree with Desert and Josh Warner...I'm very disappointed that Sony has decided to change the PS3 controller design just because a bunch of whiny 10 year olds and xbox fanboys decided to make a big stink about it. If people actually took the time to really look at it and think about it from an ergonomic perspective, I think they'd realize that it'd probably be the best controller yet, for anything. The angle the "boomerang" arms curved out seemed perfectly in line in how your wrists and arms would be positioned. Are they afraid of lawsuits for people using wireless versions as weapons? lol. Seriously, I hope they reconsider and go back to using the boomerang idea.

[Mr. Umeadi @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:27AM]

Sorry to get off of the subject, but I am tired of the X-box practitioners basking in the glow of all that is the frickin X-box controller. Am I the only who has noticed that it is a total rip-off of the Sega Dreamcast controller? Carry on.

[Santiago @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:29AM]

the circular design mock-up reminds me of the SpaceOrb 360. i miss that controller.

[Damono @ Mar 23rd 2006 1:34AM]

They're gonna make a traditional style controller, probably with elements of the dual-shock and of the xbox controller. Maybe they'll take advantage of this redesign opportunity to incorporate a motion-detection functionality not unlike the revolution setup. Sony has been known to "borrow" controller ideas in the past, and the motion sensor would allow for playable console fps'. Poor nintendo shoulda kept their controller secret for longer :P

[Ripperrim @ Mar 23rd 2006 2:51AM]

@#33

thats exactly what i thought "sony redesigning ps3 pad? guess nintendo wont be the only controller with motion detector functions"

[Chris1 @ Mar 23rd 2006 4:47AM]

I doubt there will be motion detection. Third party developers would have to have some notification in order to make games that take advantage of it. Sony is in a comfortable (not comfortable) zone right now. They don't need more problems with the PS3. If you ask me, I'm doubting that this thing will come out this year at this rate. All I know is that if Sony does do the motion detector on their controllers, I will no doubt be buying a Revolution, an XBOX360 and two Nintendo DS Lites. If Sony wants to copy Nintendo, they can at least wait a while.

[Nick @ Mar 23rd 2006 8:14AM]

"Poor nintendo shoulda kept their controller secret for longer :P"

Sorry to break it to you Sony Fanboys but no one can copy Nintendo's motion detection functions. The are patented. If they did copy them, they'd end up in the same situation as they are with Immersion over the dual-shock. The redesign will not incorporate the Revolution's features. I guarentee it.

[Steven @ Mar 23rd 2006 8:26AM]

I wonder why they don't just stick with the tried - tested - and true (read: current) design of the controller. The PSOne passed it on to the PS2, and there was good reason for it - it survived the transition because IT WORKS!!

There's absolutely NO REASON that they should even consider changing the look / feel / design of the controller. It's fine the way it it, and I am sure that it could handle a transition to the PS3.

Sony, why not take Microsoft's idea, and make only very SLIGHT changes to the controller while keeping the look / feel that all gamers love - the same!

PS2 Mod Chip

[Ken @ Mar 23rd 2006 9:13AM]

In an effort to go from one cultural weapon to another, Sony's new controller design won't mimic the Australian boomarang but the Filipino yo-yo. By making the yo-yo "sleep", walk the dog, and hang limp, you can now make Lara Croft on your PS3 sleep, walk the dog, and hang limp.

[Dan @ Mar 23rd 2006 9:30AM]

I would buy a console if it had buttons for all my fingers behind the controller, I mean what species are they making these for? Don't they know where my fingers are? Ok, so it's also the lack of a mouse, they haven't figured out how to replace that on the sofa and it doesn't look like they've hired anyone smart enough to even try. have a nice day.

[rafa @ Mar 23rd 2006 10:33AM]

Too many haters of the boomerang. It was going to be the perfect controller. Have you guys even seen it actual size?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v350/FFVIIkilla/con1.jpg

The 360 controller feels alright, but the dpad could be better. The boomerang definitely was the right way to go. Fuck the fanboys, they don't know shit.

[Robert Fisher @ Mar 23rd 2006 10:57AM]

I've often been known to rant about web news stories that should have a picture but either lack one or have a postage stamp sized one.

But this large picture at the top of this story is just WRONG. Sure, the text makes it clear that the picture has nothing to do with the content of the story, but that disclaimer is miniscule compared to the picture.

It would've been better to use a picture of the boomerang.

[FlammableD @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:37AM]

What's the betting this "redesign" will just be the old PS/PS2 controller with a few extra gimmicks?

[Brad @ Mar 23rd 2006 11:51AM]

The fake picture below the headline is not cool engadget. After reading about your bias to Apple stories and now seeing false pictures in articles, you are starting to lose credibility as a source of legitimate journalism in my eyes.

That fake image is a very cheap way to get a read.

Please remove that pic before you upset even more people.