DualShock 3 to arrive in April for $55

Sure, you've been able to get a DualShock 3 on the gray market for a while now, but it looks like that "early 2008" rumor was spot on -- Sony just announced that vibration-enabled version of the SIXAXIS is due to arrive in North America in April 2008 for $55, along with that new 80GB PS3 SKU. We doubt much will have changed from the Japanese version we've already played with -- if you can't stand the anticipation the whole gallery is right here.

[CharlieX @ Feb 26th 2008 3:02PM]

I was just in Tokyo and saw them for sale. Didn't buy one because I just assumed they were available in the States.

Heavier controller which feel nice. Rumble is nice to have back.

[Flashpoint @ Feb 26th 2008 10:09PM]

ITS ABOUT F**KIN TIME !!!!

But SONY's taking a mistep...Xbox 360's peripherals have dropped in price by an average of $10 (the Wireless headseat and the DVD remote control for example)

this thing should cost $49.99

[Miikun @ Feb 27th 2008 2:40PM]

I don't know if this is another example of list price not matching street prices, but I just got a DS3 from a japanese shopping center for $59. This includes retail markup, their shipping costs, etc. I expect it to be less when I walk into Target and buy a second unit. It is much more substantial, (I suppose the battery must be larger to accomodate the vibration?) and the Trigger 2s have more spring pressure.

[Matt @ Feb 26th 2008 3:04PM]

$55!? For 'last generation's technology'?

[LiqwidZero @ Feb 26th 2008 3:06PM]

For reals, yo.

The Wii remote only costs $39 bucks and it works in 3D space, not just in tilt based applications. AND it has rumble.

[BladeSling @ Feb 26th 2008 3:09PM]

It's not exactly last generation. It has rumble+wireless+ability to use 7 (I think) on one console.

$55 is a little steep $40 would have been a better selling price, they probably want to burn stock of their current controllers first so it can become standard. They are losing enough money as it is lol.

[Eric M. @ Feb 26th 2008 3:09PM]

Well a 360 control with a rechargeable battery pack will cost around the same, but that still doesn't mean either control should be THAT expensive damn.

[Matt @ Feb 26th 2008 3:11PM]

The 'last gen' tech i was referring to was the rumble. Isn't that what Sony told us was their reason for leaving it out from the get-go?

[Matt B @ Feb 26th 2008 3:30PM]

Liqwid,

That is only for half the controller. At least the DS3 is rechargeable right out of the box.

[LiqwidZero @ Feb 26th 2008 3:44PM]

@ Matt B

I haven't had to change the batteries in my Wii remotes for a week and a half already, and they're still holding up a good charge.

And you only need half of the controller for loads of games.

[Matsu @ Feb 26th 2008 4:37PM]

add to the Wiimote list that it also has pointer and speaker ;-)

[Killer @ Feb 26th 2008 5:01PM]

"to use 7 (I think) on one console."

First off, this has ALWAYS bugged me from the beggining. Why 7? An Odd number? Screen distribution is going the be messed up. Which brings on the next question. Are there any 7 player games on a single console yet? What good is it to have the ability to have 7 people on the same console with no game to demonstrate it? I mean 7 people is awesome in theory, but I haven't heard of it in action. You would have thought someone would make a game with that ability. (If they have, then I take back what I said.)

[Hike15 @ Feb 26th 2008 5:55PM]

The thing that makes it more expensive than the wii or 360 controller is the bluetooth tech.

[JayVe @ Feb 26th 2008 6:17PM]

Hike15: Wake up. Wii uses Bluetooth.

Also, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios Phil Harrison is the one who stated that rumble is a last generation technology. Yet now here they are giving customers what we want, only at a stupid-high price.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3157501

"I believe that the Sixaxis controller offers game designers and developers far more opportunity for future innovation than rumble ever did. Now, rumble I think was the last generation feature; it's not the next-generation feature. I think motion sensitivity is. And we don't see the need to do that."-Phil Harrison

[Luis @ Feb 27th 2008 1:35AM]

@killer

7 makes sense because it means it can support 6 controllers and one blu ray remote, or 3 controllers, 3 bluetooth headsets and blu ray remote, or whatever other combination. just think of it as 6 controllers plus another bluetooth device.

I do think they should have done 8 though, that way it could be 4 controllers and 4 bluetooth headsets. That would make sense.

[shakerben @ Feb 27th 2008 7:20AM]

i thought 7 was a limitation of bluetooth.

that you can only have 7 bluetooth devices connected together at once.

[J. Evans Turner @ Feb 27th 2008 3:57PM]

@LiqwidZero:
The SIXAXIS has equal motion-sensing to the Wii remote. Both use an array of MEMS devices in exactly the same way. What it lacks is the Wii's intuitive form factor, pointing function, and speaker. What it gains is better compatibility with PS2 / PS1 older games due to the thumbsticks, triggers, and layout.

[Matt @ Feb 27th 2008 3:58PM]

@J. Evans Turner: the PS3 is no longer backwards compatible, so who cares about compatibility with ps2 and ps1 games?

[Jonathan Keim @ Feb 26th 2008 3:05PM]

I'll be buying one.

Then I'll have 3.

Threesome... :-)

[Homeboy @ Feb 26th 2008 3:12PM]

You still won't have three PS3s.

[Sarcasticone @ Feb 26th 2008 7:26PM]

And you'll still play alone...

[Kiwi616 @ Feb 26th 2008 3:05PM]

Hopefully the older ones go on sale to 25-30 and I don't have to buy the adapter for my PS2 remotes now. I am not paying $55 for a rumble, which I turned off on my PS2!

[Eric M. @ Feb 26th 2008 3:06PM]

Damn just looking at the Dualshock design reminds me of countless memories.

I'm guessing vibrations for PS3s in US will be post-Phil Harrison, I'm still a little upset by that.

[JD @ Feb 26th 2008 3:53PM]

I'm pretty sure it looks the exact same as the sixaxis, too. But it's white instead.

[Harbo @ Feb 26th 2008 3:20PM]

ebuyer.com has stocked them for weeks? they're not a 'blackmarket' company

[Harbo @ Feb 26th 2008 3:27PM]

turns out i'm fibbing, they're no longer stocked, but i have one from there in white! i guess they where being naughty and sony probably told them off

[John @ Feb 26th 2008 3:37PM]

Now i have to find some sucker to fob a couple of my SIXAXIS controllers onto...

[Chris @ Feb 26th 2008 3:39PM]

Finally, but what should I do with my 4 Sixaxis controllers?

[JD @ Feb 26th 2008 3:56PM]

Well, you have 2 options. The Sony prescribed method:
1. Screw Rumble, it's a "last gen" feature any way. Just be happy with your sixaxis.
Or the actual action:
2. Cry yourself to sleep with them, since you'll need $220(!) to replace them all with DS3. Ouchies.

[KnuxSonic @ Feb 26th 2008 3:49PM]

$55?! FOR A CONTROLLER?

What's next, $90 for a power cord without the brick on it?

[Alex @ Feb 26th 2008 3:50PM]

how much is the 360 controller + recharge battery kit compare to this one?

[alegria690 @ Feb 26th 2008 6:20PM]

As i said below, the Dual Shock3 controllers from japan didn't have the recharge wire either. SO thats a wash

[Alex @ Feb 27th 2008 2:06AM]

yea .. but a ps3 "charger" cable is just a usb to mini-usb cable that u can get anywhere (my phone uses it, my camera uses it, my camcorder uses it, etc...) .. not any special cable that u kno they over priced on ... im probably going to get flamed for this.. but i just dont see why people are complaining so much about the price... the Wiimote is 39.99 + 20 for the nunchuck... 360 controller and charger bundle is 69.99 (all prices are from gamestop.com) yet.. nobody complained about the prices on those.. so really.. are people really complaining about the price? or just looking for ways to complain about Sony.. lets just be reasonable

[Ty @ Feb 26th 2008 3:53PM]

I never liked the rumble feature but even if I did I would have to question why these are 5 bucks more than the regular sixaxis controllers. Are sixaxis controllers getting the boot?

[satanhimself @ Feb 26th 2008 3:53PM]

They should hand these out for free to all us mugs who bought the PS3. Where are the games?


AA
http://satanhimself.wordpress.com/

[Big John @ Feb 26th 2008 4:26PM]

I'm honored that you came up with that completely original nickname of "Satan Himself" that's been used by me all over the place for years.

*golf clap*

PS: Yes, I'm aware my name is Big John on here.

[nathan.wong @ Feb 26th 2008 3:55PM]

It's about frickin' time!

[nathan.wong @ Feb 26th 2008 3:59PM]

I can't believe people are complaining about $55. I paid frickin' $70+ for a Wii controller and nunchuck, $60 for a SE Xbox 360 controller and another $50 for a replacement when the other broke. $55 for a controller is the norm now days.

[umm....hello??? @ Feb 26th 2008 8:11PM]

so we should be happy that you and thousands of others decided that the controller prices were "acceptable"? THAT makes sense....

remember, every time you decide to buy something at a given price, you are VOTING for that price with your cash.

[dweechin @ Feb 28th 2008 1:59AM]

@ummm...hello??

That has to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard. NO CRAP! Thank you for stating the obvious! You must have just learned how (semi) free market economies work. Good for you! We complain because our corporate governments leave us with almost no choice. If you knew anything about serious gamers, you'd know that they don't care what it costs - they must have it!

[umm....hello??? @ Feb 28th 2008 8:18PM]

@dweechin

really?!!!! gosh, I had NO FREAKIN' CLUE!! thanks for proving my point and being one of the fucking retards contributing to the higher prices. as a serious gamer (PSWii60 owner) myself, you are ALSO stating the obvious. thanks for playing.

[Rainier @ Feb 26th 2008 4:06PM]

Depending on the game, I like the rumble feature of controllers. I enjoyed it when playing Fight Night. But I would have to aggree that $55 is pretty steep. :\

[Rainier @ Feb 26th 2008 4:06PM]

Depending on the game, I like the rumble feature of controllers. I enjoyed it when playing Fight Night. But I would have to aggree that $55 is pretty steep. :\

[Rainier @ Feb 26th 2008 4:07PM]

Crap! Sorry for the double post folks... :\

[Big John @ Feb 26th 2008 4:17PM]

I'm glad they color matched the controller to the system.

[NineToez @ Feb 26th 2008 5:50PM]

I'll buy one in black when they're available.

[Panathas17 @ Mar 8th 2008 2:46PM]

ok...

[Hike15 @ Feb 26th 2008 5:56PM]

so is it going to work with the original ps3's?

[alegria690 @ Feb 26th 2008 6:18PM]

yeah my Japanese ones work with my US PS3 I got it that first Christmas but only with games that support the rumbling. To be honest I have 2 games neither of them do so I don't know. Then again maybe GRAW2 rumbled but might be thinking of 360 or something else.

PS You can use 7 of them but I'm not 100% sure on the US version but the Japanese ones didn't come with the cord to plug them in. I don't know because I feel like my original ps3 controllers had a wire. I have been using USB wires.

[GoonieGooGoo @ Feb 26th 2008 6:03PM]

MEH!!

I'm not falling for the bait & switch SONY did with the PS3 controllers.......