The Dual Shock 3

[Son Of LA]

The rumble-enhanced Sixaxis won't be packaged with PlayStation 3s, but GameSpot still took it for a spin at Japan's biggest game event.

By Staff, GameSpot
Posted Sep 20, 2007 8:47 am EET


TOKYO--Following widespread rumors and leaks, today Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai unveiled the Dual Shock 3 controller for the PlayStation 3. As had been widely rumored, the controller will feature the same rumble technology Sony had initially dismissed as "last-gen" when the tilt-sensitive Sixaxis was first shown off in 2006. Its announcement comes six months after Sony and Immersion Corporation agreed to cooperate after a lengthy--and costly--legal battle over the Dual Shock 2's force-feedback-tech.

The good news is that, despite some confusion, the Dual Shock 3 will feature both rumble and the tilt-sensing functionality. The bad news is, when it goes on sale in Japan in November and in North America and Europe in early 2008, it will be sold separately from the PlayStation 3. Gamers whose memories stretch back to the mid-1990s will remember Sony applied a similar strategy when introducing the original Dual Shock following the release of the original PlayStation. From day one, though, the PlayStation 2 came equipped with a Dual Shock 2 controller.

As of press time, Sony had not revealed pricing for the Dual Shock 3 in any territory. However, one thing Sony was forthcoming about was the list of PS3 games which will support force feedback. Dozens of games are already compatible with the controller weeks before the peripheral hits the market, with many more being supported via software updates from the PlayStation Network. (A full list of the games can be found at the bottom of this article.)

Immediately following Harai's TGS keynote address, new signs started appearing around several different game stations at Sony's TGS booth to indicate stations equipped with the Dual Shock 3 controller. The Ratchet and Clank and Metal Gear Solid 4 stations were just some of the kiosks featuring the telltale black-and-white controller image with radiating motion lines.

GameSpot took the new peripheral for a spin to see how it handled. The most noticeable thing about the controller is its weight, since the rotor-less Sixaxis always felt a little light. On the other hand, the Dual Shock 3 has a comforting amount of heft, feeling much like the highly prized Dual Shock 2.

The Dual Shock 3's rumble was a touch weak, but stuck close to PlayStation 2's force feedback. The prototype version of the controller at Sony's booth lacked any distinctive markings, looking just like a standard Sixaxis with a "Dual Shock 3" decal on the front.

Check out GameSpot's ongoing coverage of the 2007 Tokyo Game Show for previews of games, such as Metal Gear Solid 4, which feature the Dual Shock 3's rumble functionality.

PLAYSTATION 3 TITLES COMPATIBLE WITH DUALSHOCK 3 IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE (as of 9/20/07)

Assassin's Creed / Ubisoft
Beowulf / Ubisoft
BlackSite: Area 51 / Midway
Blast Factor * / Sony Computer Entertainment
Burnout Paradise / Electronic Arts
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena / Vivendi Games
Club / Sega
Condemned 2 / Sega
Cops (Codename, Title Name TBD) Pyro
Crucible / Sega
Dark Sector / D3Publisher
Darkness / 2K Games
Destroy All Humans 3 THQ
Devil May Cry 4 / Capcom
Dynasty Warriors 6 / Koei
Echochrome / Sony Computer Entertainment
Elefunk / Sony Computer Entertainment
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars / Activision
Fatal Inertia / Koei
FIFA Franchise (Title Name TBD) / Electronic Arts
Folklore* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Formula One Championship Edition* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Girpshift / Sony Online Entertainment
Go! Sports Ski* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Haze / Ubisoft
Heavenly Sword* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Heroes Over Europe / Red Mile Entertainment
High Velocity Bowling / Sony Computer Entertainment
Highlander / Eidos
Incredible Hulk / Sega
Iron Man / Sega
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men / Eidos
Legendary: The Box / Gamecock
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots / Konami
MLB 08: The Show / Sony Computer Entertainment
Motorstorm* / Sony Computer Entertainment
NBA 08* / Sony Computer Entertainment
NBA 2K8 / Take Two Sports
N-Cube / Creat Studios
PAIN / Sony Computer Entertainment
Planet One (Codename, Title Name TBD) Pyro
Prototype / Vivendi Games
RAGE / Id Software
Rat Race / Sony Computer Entertainment
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction / Sony Computer Entertainment
Resident Evil 5 / Capcom
Resistance: Fall of Man* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Snakeball / Sony Computer Entertainment
SOCOM: Confrontation / Sony Computer Entertainment
Soldier of Fortune / Activision
Stuntman Ignition / THQ
Super Stardust HD* / Sony Computer Entertainment
TNA Wrestling / Midway
To End All Wars / Ghostlight
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2* / Ubisoft
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas* / Ubisoft
Toy Home / Sony Computer Entertainment
Turok / Disney Interactive
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune / Sony Computer Entertainment
Unreal Tournament 3 / Midway
Warbit / Creat Studios
Wardevil: Unleash the Beast Within / Ignition Entertainment
Warhawk* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Wheelman / Midway
Wipeout HD / Sony Computer Entertainment

LIST OF PLAYSTATION 3 TITLES COMPATIBLE WITH DUALSHOCK 3 IN JAPAN (as of 9/20/07)

Vampire Rain: Altered Species / AQ INTERACTIVE Inc.
BIOHAZARD 5 (Resident Evil 5) / Capcom
Blast Factor* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Bumpy Trot 2 / Irem Software.
Burnout Paradise / Electronic Arts
Dark Sector / D3Publisher.
Devil May Cry 4 / Capcom
Dynasty Warriors 6 / Koei
Echochrome / Sony Computer Entertainment
Fatal Inertia / Koei
FIFA Franchise (Title Name TBD) / Electronic Arts
Folklore* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Formula One Championship Edition* / Sony Computer Entertainment
GI JOCKEY 4 2007 / Koei
Go! Sports Ski* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Heavenly Sword* / Sony Computer Entertainment
IMABIKISOU / Sega
Metal Gear Online Konami
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots / Konami
Motorstorm* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction / Sony Computer Entertainment
Resistance: Fall of Man* / Sony Computer Entertainment
Super Stardust HD* / Sony Computer Entertainment
TOY HOME / Sony Computer Entertainment
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune / Sony Computer Entertainment
Warhawk* / Sony Computer Entertainment

* = Titles will be given rumble functionality through a PlayStation Store software update.