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TGS '07: Spot On - The Dual Shock 3

  • By Staff, GameSpot
  • Posted Sep 19, 2007 10:47 pm PT

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.

The Dual Shock 3. (Not to be confused with the Sixaxis or Dual Shock 2)

The Dual Shock 3. (Not to be confused with the Sixaxis or Dual Shock 2)

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 that 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 & 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 because 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 DUAL SHOCK 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 DUAL SHOCK 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.

439 Comments

  • Yossi1007

    Posted Jul 14, 2008 1:21 am GMT

    they need to do a sixaxis like controller that u can split it and play like wii just better...

  • bladeswinger77

    Posted Apr 6, 2008 10:39 pm GMT

    rumble back, eh? sony must be trying to pull their heads out of their as*es from when they got them up there when they released the PS3 without rumble.

  • ItsRichie

    Posted Feb 27, 2008 11:55 am GMT

    well, I cant blame them from copying rumble from nintendo (NINTEDO USED IT FIRST LIVE WITH IT)

  • Program_Soul

    Posted Oct 29, 2007 10:06 pm GMT

    Finally! the rumble is coming to the ps3. I'll bay it wen it's will come out... well at lest if i have the money (need a job). it will be interesting to play Darkness with rumble. Though like it better if Ninja Gaiden Sigma would get an update for rumble.

    The only thing that I think of that Sony should do now is to develop better development tools and support to to make life easier for game developers and to reduce game production cost... well at least that what I have bean told. Really I can't say for my self, i'm just a novice for now. I can barely use Direct X 9c in 2d.

  • GhostKitty

    Posted Oct 23, 2007 10:02 am GMT

    That's pretty cool that they took the time to make updates for preexisting titles to use rumble not looking forward to download them though if the files are large PSN hella slow downloads (at least for me anyways) I agree with Tking1293 it's dumb that it's not included with system

  • Spyder25000

    Posted Sep 27, 2007 3:13 pm GMT

    How is the xboxs graphics better?
    Xbox out longer so the game dev's know how to use 100% of the machine
    the PS3 the games are only using 10%-20%
    Wait 1 year then compare them again
    Dual shock? how could they forget it? but after awhile you dont notice the shock

    wow? more games? make sense the ps3 only out and the xbox has been out for ages so it makes sense that the PS3 should have the same number of games. Cheap games = crap disks my friend with an xbox took out GEARS OF WAR and he snapped it just like that. Try scrating the BLue Ray disc you wont effect any data not sure about snapping em, you have a shot at snapping a BLue ray compared to HD DVD

  • weiners posted Sep 27, 2007 9:08 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    weiners

    Posted Sep 27, 2007 9:08 am GMT (hide)

    "For god's sake sony, stop adding crap to a failing console. Microsoft won, you lost, accept it. A new controller won't do crap for PS3 sales. Just buy a 360, it has way better graphics, much much better games, actually realiable online, and the games are way cheaper!"

    Could you possibly use a playstation before you make comments like that.... better graphics...lol funny

  • mrfrieze

    Posted Sep 26, 2007 4:41 pm GMT

    mailbox2112

    "For god's sake sony, stop adding crap to a failing console. Microsoft won, you lost, accept it. A new controller won't do crap for PS3 sales. Just buy a 360, it has way better graphics, much much better games, actually realiable online, and the games are way cheaper!"------------------------------------------Did you really just say that?

  • BEYOND-CREATION

    Posted Sep 26, 2007 4:40 am GMT

    what sony is trying to do is worthless right now !!! ALL PS3 NEEDS ARE GOOD GAMES ( not like b4) AND LOW PRICES !!! trust me when i say , people will buy A SONY OVER EVERYTHING , if the price is right !! later on , they can developpe the controller and all the perks !!!

  • napp123

    Posted Sep 25, 2007 11:25 am GMT

    Sony owners get stabbed in the back, again.

  • N-Flamez posted Sep 25, 2007 11:25 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    N-Flamez

    Posted Sep 25, 2007 11:25 am GMT (hide)

    HAHAHAH not so "ilast-gen" now isnt Sony Beware Sony, Halo 3 is coming and Killzone 2 cant do a damn thing about it!!!!!!!!!!

  • reactionsok

    Posted Sep 24, 2007 8:35 pm GMT

    OBJECTION!!!!!!so dumb to make all this press over rumble -

  • boikim posted Sep 24, 2007 6:49 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    boikim

    Posted Sep 24, 2007 6:49 pm GMT (hide)

    I perfer any other controller that isnt Dual Shock, even the original xbox controller! I HATE dual shock, it just does NOT fit. Its also about time that Sony did something even though it's very very late and it suck's for PS3 owner's becuase they'll have to buy it replacing their old ones with no vibration. LOL! Dont worry youll still get a chance at ebay....fad chance!

  • TMontana1004 posted Sep 24, 2007 6:23 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    TMontana1004

    Posted Sep 24, 2007 6:23 pm GMT (hide)

    Just another failed atempt for Sony to make some extra revenue. They need to change their stategy before MS owns the video game market completely. I doubt they could possibly do anything now -- MS has the holidays on lockdown this year.

  • pucho2000 posted Sep 24, 2007 6:05 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    pucho2000

    Posted Sep 24, 2007 6:05 pm GMT (hide)

    I dont give a s... about rumble. What the ps3 needs right now is games.

  • WongB

    Posted Sep 24, 2007 2:05 pm GMT

    Wth...early 08? It should be out before the years end. Step your game up Sony.

  • cannibal127-9

    Posted Sep 23, 2007 11:43 pm GMT

    I have no complaints about the PS3s controller aside from vibration. I think this addition completes the controller.

  • bgriffithsps3

    Posted Sep 23, 2007 12:03 pm GMT

    no mention of them sorting out L2 and R2 then? They slope too much no? Anyone else's fingers almost slip off?

  • Tking1293

    Posted Sep 23, 2007 9:31 am GMT

    Well, this is kind of stupid. Sony should be boxing the new controller with its PS3 because everyone will want to buy it, and not use the sixaxis. It's little things like these that make people buy another console not made by Sony.

  • Mandingo101

    Posted Sep 23, 2007 7:17 am GMT

    1up and ryan payton from konami have confirmed touch sense, i seen it in their written preview, the 1up show and the podcast as well.

    so as far as it being the same as dualshock 2 i guess someone got it wrong.

  • YukoAsho

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 4:53 pm GMT

    Not packed in? I'm not going to be buying it. Rumble's completely and totally unneccessary.

  • Mattyrock

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 4:45 pm GMT

    It should have always been that then ripping off Nintendo for their smart idea...

  • ObiKKa posted Sep 22, 2007 3:56 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    ObiKKa

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 3:56 pm GMT (hide)

    The never-ending trend of terrible decision-making by Sony continues what with an inferior rumble technology in the PS3's controller compared to that of the PS2's, & to have the new controller sold SEPARATELY, thus wasting customers' money even MORE! The rumble technology in the PS2 is pretty weak, & very rarely has ever been good, including when it is being utilised by the game Gran Turismo 4. When I played a demo of NFS: Carbon I was racing over a track that has a cobblestone-like texture on the middle strip of the roads, & when driving over it the rumble in the PS2 controller annoyed me like HELL, so I tried to avoid the cobblestone strip to no avail. It was literally impossible to do. The Xbox controller's rumble is so excellent, as is the rumble tech in the X360's controller.

    I was planning on buying the PS3 when it drops to AU $750 or 800 (you could say US $425/450), but only if the PS3 is mini as has been rumoured for next year, & the rumble controller. But now that plan's changed, coz I certainly WON'T be buying the PS3 at that price, & then re-buying the controllers, only to increase the total amount up to AU $900/1000, (Original price is AU $1000). F#CK Sony. I'll be waiting until it drops to AU $600-700.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 2:01 pm GMT

    lol; it's past September 20th and Sony barely has a fraction of those games

  • rarson

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 12:15 pm GMT

    Another dumb move by Sony. If they can't even include the right controller in the box, there's no way I'm shelling out the money for a PS3.

  • Crystall3d

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 10:43 am GMT

    my big problem is i cant have fun with a HD-less ps3 , playstation entertainment will cost me 3000$+ this time and there s no other way experienceing it..

  • alhonso

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 3:46 am GMT

    Can't wait till it come out, when the PS3 was announced I thought that the vibration function would obviously be available as it has been such a hit.

  • rex97213

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 1:01 am GMT

    i wonder how much money it is going to cost?

  • rhoemer3

    Posted Sep 22, 2007 12:23 am GMT

    THE PS3 IS STALE WITHOUT RUMBLE FEEDBACK.GOOD WORK RE-INTRODUCING IT!!

  • Kid_disaster

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 8:03 pm GMT

    I think it is good that the weight will be increased a little. The current sixaxis control is awesome, but lacks the grunt the dualshock 2 had.

  • SPaM782

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 7:14 pm GMT

    Hilltops. The xbox controller is completely different to the 360 controller. And therefore shouldn't have impaired your decision to buy a 360.

    The PS controller is renowned mainly due to Sony finding a decent formula and sticking with it whereas Microsoft and Nintendo have had to make controllers which aren't like the Duel Shock due to licensing and copyright laws.

    In my opinion i prefer the 360 controller due to it being virtually identical except for the placement of one analog stick and it has triggers.

  • hilltops

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 6:39 pm GMT

    But seriously though..there isn't much point in a new controller regardless of what it does or doesnt do.. if there are no games that you want to play and there for would make the controller useless..Don't Ya Think?

  • hilltops

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 6:28 pm GMT

    I hope i speak for other people when i say that i have played xbox once, not 360, and didnt like the controller. It is the worst design ever, bulky and unmanageable..wierd button layout. If i had have liked it from day one i might have bought a 360 but i didnt. "What 's an Xbox
    ?"

  • jayd02

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 4:48 pm GMT

    Ok I will clear some things up for everybody. The real reason sony didn't have rumble for the PS3 is that they had got sued by a company. The company sued sony back when duelshock 2 was made and the company won. The told sony that they weren't aloud to use the rumble on any further sony system. Sony didn't want to come out and just say "Yeah we got sued and lost and we can't use the tech anymore." That wouldn't sound good for a company like sony, so they lied and said that the rumble would mess up game play. I don't know what they did to get the ability to use the tech again but they did it and I guess I can't be mad at them

  • mike_vas_55

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 4:24 pm GMT

    Yes the return of the RUMBLE.

  • J_Favs

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 4:23 pm GMT

    Wow thats amazing, NOT! and how can rumble be last gen (bad attempt at a cover up), rumble is something you add to make games better.

  • LDUK

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 4:20 pm GMT

    Why isit Xbox fanboys march in and say how crap the PS3 is because of this? I personally think they should have done this from the start. But shut up fanboys, you dont have a clue. You really have it coming and I just cant wait.

  • Stec13

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 4:14 pm GMT

    oscaritoqueloco everyone knows the PS controller is superior to any game controller out there past or present, thats why Sony has never messed with the design much......any game fan and industry professional will agree to that!

    Your fanboy comment......."Pros - Rumble
    Cons - same crappy design 360's controller still better"........ is completely crap!

  • oscaritoqueloco

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 3:57 pm GMT

    Pros - Rumble
    Cons - same crappy design 360's controller still better

  • Windtear

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 3:10 pm GMT

    In 1up's MGS4 DEMO hands on, it mentioned the Dual Shock 3 let you feel the rumble from different direction according to the direction of explosion.

  • rainpoursaway

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 3:08 pm GMT

    so now that the ps3 has been out for some time
    and now that everyone has probably 2-4 controllers
    lets release one with rumble for max sales?
    uhh good market strategy
    or not

  • nerdomatic3000

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:47 pm GMT

    Cool. Rumble is cool for shooters but on most other games, I'm so in to the game I can't even really tell it there.

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:32 pm GMT

    Rumble and Sixaxis is awesome!

  • shadystxxx

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:30 pm GMT

    You know im glad rumble is back into the ps3 controller, i think force feedback provides great immersion, theres nothing better than when opening up with massive gun than the controller shaking your hand off.

    I would take rumble over motion sensing any day of the week, i sold my wii because i felt like i had been ripped off every game i played was poor and it felt like i was playing gamecube games with waggle.

    So far i have not really enjoyed any titly feature in any ps3 game, i did enjoy heavenly sword's after-touch and this is how i feel six-axis should be used as a small feature that works well not a game built around it.

    It seems even kojima feels that motion sensing is not working as well as he thought nearly all the six-axis movements have been removed except on little feature allowing you to stick your head out of a trash can, even the mk-2 is controlled by sticks now.

    Im happy but im dissapointed that us ps3 owners who want rumble have to pay to have an old feature that should have been in from the start.

    Basicly sony didnt want to settle with immersion, didnt want to pay to have there tech in there controllers so they said rumble is a last gen feature and we will rip off ideas from nintendo, thinking that was a good move.

    But it seems allot of ps3 owners wanted rumble back so sony settled with immersion only now old & new ps3 owners will foot the bill for there lawsuit.

    At least the controller should be packed in with new ps3's, and i think anybody who wants one should be able to trade there old controllers in to get one.

    The controllers they get back could easily be used for parts to build the new dual shok 3, just like they built the six-axis from dual shock 2 parts.

    Another thing im wondering has the dual shock 3 got tilty support in it.

    I also find it funny that sony are parading this "last gen tech" around like its a brand new feature, at least if we have to buy new controllers they could have adopted immersions new rumble tech instead of giving us weaker rumble, i suppose it was cheaper this way.

    Well im happy rumble is back i guess i will have to buy 4 new dual shock 3 in half a years time, why would it take several months longer to bring rumble to the u.s and e.u.

    Well i geuss its the same as it has been all generation i love the sony console i just dont get some of there decisions and i lost allot of respect for sony employee's after the last two years of arrogance.

    But it seems like they are on there way back.

  • ebonyflame

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:15 pm GMT

    I don't know, I really wanna buy a PS3 for the great games but I am really not interested in buying a gimped system with emulated backwards compatibility. Nor do I wanna spend a ton more money on things that should just come in the box with the system like Dual SHock controllers. I really don't need the larger hard drive as the system come built witht he common enough sense of being able to add your own hard drive of your choice of sizes at a later date. I guess me and my Wii are in it for the long haul. Like the Macintoch brand, it just works out of the box and comes with what you need from the start. Everything else is merely optional.

  • mailbox2112 posted Sep 21, 2007 2:12 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    mailbox2112

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:12 pm GMT (hide)

    For god's sake sony, stop adding crap to a failing console. Microsoft won, you lost, accept it. A new controller won't do crap for PS3 sales. Just buy a 360, it has way better graphics, much much better games, actually realiable online, and the games are way cheaper!

  • mushroom_idol

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:05 pm GMT

    cool

  • Proust

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 2:02 pm GMT

    PS3 just keeps growing. Great news

  • n3ck

    Posted Sep 21, 2007 1:56 pm GMT

    All this proves is how lame the PS3 is, it 's boasting a feature all consoles have had since N64 invented it, although if you want to go further i think it was either outrun or Afterburner that first had rumble on arcades.

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