Sony has spent years improving
the PlayStation controller. From the very first controller in 1994
for the PlayStation one, all the way to the newest DualSense
controller for the PlayStation 5. This is the Evolution of PlayStation Controllers! The Nintendo PlayStation was supposed to
be a Super NES console with CD-ROM capabilities. The Controller for the console could
have been PlayStation's first controller. However, as some of you might remember from the
Evolution of PlayStation, this partnership failed. PlayStation started creating its own console and controller. Designing a new controller wasn’t easy though. PlayStation made all kinds of concepts, which were largely based on the SNES controller design. The first PlayStation was released in 1994 and with it came the first PlayStation controller. The controller was clearly inspired by the SNES controller, but it added two handles to make the controller
more ergonomically comfortable and adding grip. The buttons were largely the same, except that two shoulder buttons were
added to give players more options. This was extremely important since
PlayStation focused on 3D games. These games required more buttons to
navigate through the 3D environments compared to the flat surface of the
2D games that Nintendo was focusing on. Ken Kutaragi, former chairman and
CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, said that designing the controller took
just as long as creating the console. They wanted to make sure that the controller
was comfortable and not too heavy in any situation. This included them lying on the floor while gaming. PlayStation also introduced the iconic Square, Triangle,
Circle and Cross symbols on the face buttons. These symbols actually have a meaning. The triangle refers to a viewpoint and
the direction a player is headed. The Square button indicates a piece of paper
which references the game’s menu. While the Circle and X buttons mean yes and no. These symbols became a PlayStation trademark, which became incorporated heavily into the PlayStation brand. The increasing popularity of 3D games
led to Sony exploring new ways to give users more freedom over
their movements in 3D environments. That’s why Sony created the revolutionary
Dual Analog Controller in 1996. Like the name suggest it added two analogue sticks, which has to be one of the best features
ever added to a PlayStation controller. With the release of the new controller
came two analogue-capable titles. These were Tobal 2 and Bushido Blade. At the time though,
these analogue sticks were seen as “odd” and Sony added a button that would allow
the user to turn off the analogue functionality. The dual analogue controller
featured rumble support in Japan. This feature was removed in all overseas
iterations including the United States. Rumors at the time said that Nintendo had
attempted to legally block the controller outside of Japan due to similarities with
the Rumble Pak in the Nintendo 64’s controller. However, a Nintendo spokesman denied it and stated that Sony only wanted to keep the price of the controller
down by removing the rumble support. One year later Sony introduced the Dualshock controller,
that featured the rumble support. It was basically a Dual Analog controller that vibrated,
which was a big deal at the time. Unlike its predecessor, the analogue sticks
features textured grips, longer handles and slightly
different shoulder buttons. The analogue sticks also added
two more buttons when being pressed. These features were heavily
emphasized with titles like Spyro the Dragon Final Fantasy VIII and Crash Bandicoot 3 Due to the success of the Dualshock controller, it became the default controller for the PlayStation. Fun Fact the Dual Shock controller received an Emmy award for Peripheral development and
technological impact of video game controllers. In 2000 the PlayStation 2 was released
with a new controller, the DualShock 2. The design of the new controller
looked very similar to its predecessor. However, the controller was lighter, analog sticks were stiffer
and the original version came in black, rather than grey as with the original DualShock. That the controllers looked so similar
was exceptional at the time. New consoles were expected to launch
with entirely re-imagined controllers. If we look at Nintendo we can see that the SNES had an entirely different controller
compared to the Nintendo 64. In 2001 the GameCube was also released, yet again, with a redesigned controller. But the most notable difference
were the pressure sensitive buttons, which gave players the ability to softly press the buttons. This feature could be used in Racing games, like Gran Turismo. If players press the buttons softly the car will go slow, while if they press the button fully, the car will go full throttle. This also applied to driving in the
most-sold game for the PlayStation 2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. But the pressure sensitivity could also be used for shooting and aiming mechanics in Metal Gear Solid 2. For example, when players pressed the button lightly they hold up the gun without shooting. In 2005 the PlayStation 3 was unveiled at E3 and with it came a concept for a new controller. The controller, nicknamed the ‘Boomerang’,
wasn’t well received though. The former CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, Ken Kutaragi, also known as “The Father of the PlayStation” wanted a completely different controller for the PlayStation 3. Teiyu Goto, the designer of the Boomerang design said “Quite frankly, we had set aside the ergonomic
aspect in favour of the image it conjured up. We wanted to present an avant-garde model for the show,
running a risk of being criticised." Sony knew that the slightest change could annoy players and decided the risk wasn’t worth taking. So, they went back to the drawing board and looked how they could improve
the Dual Shock 2 controller, while keeping the layout mostly similar. Fun Fact While the Boomerang never came to market
it was quite revolutionary. If players were angry and threw away
the controller it would return flawlessly. The PlayStation 3 was officially released in 2006 and with it came, of course,
a new controller named the Sixaxis. Its design is an evolution of the DualShock 2, retaining pressure-sensitive buttons, layout and basic shape. The most notable change was that
it was the first wireless PlayStation controller. It also had other improvements, like the redesigned shoulder triggers and the pressure sensitivity of the
analog sticks was increased. It also didn’t have the option to turn analog off and instead had a button that allows
access to the system menu. The name ‘Six axis’ refers to the
motion sensing technology that was supposed to offer the controller
six degrees of motion freedom. However the motion feature was mostly a gimmick. Only a few games used the feature, including Ratchet and Clank Grand Theft Auto V and Journey. Sony continually keeps improving their controllers, similar to what I’m trying to do
with these animations on this channel. Please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon, so we can make more quality educative animations! The Dualshock 3 replaced the Sixaxis
as the standard PS3 controller. It features the same design and functions,
but adds a vibration feedback capability. The DualShock 3 was originally intended to be bundled
with the PlayStation 3 at launch. However, Sony was in the midst of a lawsuit involving
patent infringement claimed by Immersion. The legal battle led to a decision to remove
the vibration capabilities of the controller and instead of releasing the Dualshock 3, Sony released the Sixaxis
that didn’t have vibration instead. At the time Nintendo achieved
a massive success with the Wii. In fact, the Wii sold way more units
than the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360. The PlayStation Move was Sony’s answer to the Wii. It was a motion game controller released in 2010. While the device was generally well received by critics, there wasn’t an expansive library of motion games,
like the Wii had. In total 15 million units were sold,
but the device did not live up to Sony’s expectations. Sony used cutting-edge technology in the PlayStation 3, but this led to a lot of problems for the company, which we already discussed in the ‘Evolution of PlayStation’. Thus Sony kept things simple with the PlayStation 4, and emphasized what worked for the PlayStation in the past. We can clearly see this with
the new controller, the DualShock 4. The design closely resembles its predecessor. A new feature is the touch pad
on the front of the controller. The DualShock 4 also has mono speakers, redesigned triggers and joysticks, supports motion detection and has a dedicated share button that allows players to upload screenshots and videos
from their gameplay experiences. The top of the controller features a light bar, which can show light in different colors. This feature is used for instance
in Grand Theft Auto V where the light bar flashes red and blue
when a player is wanted by the police. It was more comfortable than any of its predecessors
and it added a variety of useful features. But most of all it stayed true to the core concepts
of the PlayStation controller, which players came to love. Some players experienced wear issues
with the rubber surface on both analog sticks. In 2016 came an upgraded version
known as the DualShock Version 2, which had more durable rubber on the analog sticks, a light bar on the face of the touchpad
and an improved battery life. There were also special PlayStation 4 controllers that allowed for more customization and added features, like the Thrustmaster eSwap Pro Controller Nacon Revolution Astro C40 TR and the SCUF Vantage Controller These weren’t cheap though, for example the SCUF vantage Controller
was sold for a whopping $199 dollars! And finally at the end of 2020
the PlayStation 5 was released. With the PlayStation 5 came an entirely new controller. Sony moved beyond the Dualshock line
and made the DualSense controller. It features a new design with a two-tone
coloring scene of black and white, rather than just 1 single color. It also has adaptive triggers, haptic feedback and a USB-C port for faster charging. Oh and it has a built-in-mic, which is an evolution from people asking, “anyone have a mic?” to, “I KNOW YOU HAVE A MIC!”. The new features make a notable
difference to its predecessors and continue to provide a great gaming experience. Over the last 27 years Sony has continually
kept innovating their PlayStation controllers, while still keeping core elements
that gamers all around the world love. And I’m sure we can expect many more
improved PlayStation controllers in the future! I’d love to hear how you think the
PlayStation controllers can be improved further, let us know in the comments!
