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Joystiq impressions: DualShock 3 (PS3)


Short version of our DualShock 3 impression: It's like a Sixaxis. Oh yeah, but it has sweet, sweet, rumbles.

More poetically speaking, Joni Mitchell's words that "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" were never truer than in describing what happened when we went from the PS2's DualShock 2 to the PS3's rumble-less Sixaxis. When you get your hands on a DualShock 3 for the first time, your general expectations of controller feedback from a PS3 game are fulfilled. After giving the heftier controller (193g vs. Sixaxis' 138g, even though it "feels" heavier) a little charge time with the USB cable, it was time to test some games.

PlayStation 2 titles (for those who have backwards compatibility) control and give feedback just like you remember -- minus a pesky cord. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune feels like a totally new experience with every gunshot, punch and explosion letting your hands know something is happening on-screen. We had a little hiccup updating MotorStorm, one of the few titles that requires a rumble patch (make sure to go to the online option -- it doesn't auto update), but other than that, the DualShock 3 performs like one would expect. For those who don't want the rumble functionality on, there's always the option of turning it off by hitting the PS button ... but, why would you do that? The DualShock 3's suggested price is $55 and should be available as soon as the box from Sony arrives at your local store.
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