6.1 – WHAT IS THE SIXAXIS CONTROLLER?
The SIXAXIS controller is the fifth major revision of the traditional PlayStation controller since the PS1 was released. It is identical to the earlier Dual Shock 2 that shipped with the PS2, with the following changes:
- The Dual Shock 2 used the PS2’s controller plug. The SIXAXIS is wireless, with a USB cable for plugging it in and charging it.
- The Dual Shock 2 had an “analog” button that enabled and disabled the analog joysticks. The SIXAXIS removes the button and adds a PS button, which is used in-game to turn on the controller, and then bring up the system menu once the controller is turned on.
- The SIXAXIS is motion-sensitive. Like the Wii controller, the SIXAXIS detects yaw, pitch, and roll in addition to forward/backward, left/right, and up/down.
- The SIXAXIS has slightly redesigned L2 and R2 buttons that resemble analog triggers, similar to the Dreamcast and Xbox shoulder triggers.
- The most controversial change to the SIXAXIS controller was the removal of force feedback motors from the Dual Shock 2. This was caused by a patent dispute that has since been resolved. The Dual Shock 3 will be available everywhere in April 2008, and it will include force feedback support.
6.2 – WHAT IS THE DUAL SHOCK 3 CONTROLLER?
The Dual Shock 3 is identical to the SIXAXIS, except that it has force feedback support. The addition of the force feedback motors means the Dual Shock 3 is slightly heavier than the SIXAXIS.
6.3 – CAN I USE MY SIXAXIS CONTROLLER AS A COMPUTER GAME PAD?
Yes, although unless you’re using GNU/Linux with the latest version of Linux, you’ll need to download a driver in order to get it to work. The SIXAXIS controller is actually a USB and Bluetooth HID device, but it uses HID in a weird, non-standard way that Windows and Mac OS X don’t understand.
There are several drivers for 32-bit Windows (XP, Vista, etc.). Some of them work fine, while others don’t. Libusb-win32-based drivers, such as, ought to work.
Mac OS X users can download a driver from
Unfortunately I can’t find any drivers for 64-bit Windows. Anyone?
IMPORTANT: As with all USB-based controllers, the SIXAXIS controller will most likely not work with games written for MS-DOS, since DOS predated USB, and Microsoft didn’t really support USB until Windows 98. If there are any old DOS games that you must play with a SIXAXIS, then you might have better luck playing them in an emulator such as DOSBox.
6.4 – WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE BANANA CONTROLLER?
The “banana controller”, a banana-shaped controller that was shown with early PS3 prototypes, was only a concept controller and never went into production. It wouldn’t have been practical as a controller design.
6.5 – WHY DON’T THE MOTION-SENSITIVE CONTROLS WORK IN MY GAME THAT SUPPORTS MOTION-SENSITIVE CONTROLS?
If you’re having this problem, then chances are you’re using an older version of the PS3 firmware. There was an earlier version that had the unfortunate side effect of breaking the support for motion-sensitive controls, which made games like “Lair” unplayable.
Fortunately, if this is the case, then you should only need to update your PS3’s firmware to solve the issue. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then make sure that they are turned on in your game’s options menu if applicable.
If that still doesn’t work, then maybe the game you’re playing does not use motion-sensitive controls in the context that you’re trying to use them.
6.6 – WHY DO THE CONTROLS RANDOMLY QUIT RESPONDING FOR SEVERAL SECONDS?
Congratulations; you’ve encountered the #1 unresolved problem with the PS3. While we’re waiting on Sony for a solution, the workaround is to plug the controller directly into the console using a USB cable, in which case the wireless controls will no longer be used, and the problem will no longer occur.
6.7 – ARE THE SIXAXIS AND DUAL SHOCK 3 COMPATIBLE WITH THE PS1 OR PS2?
They are incompatible with the hardware of both consoles (but _not_ in PS1/PS2 games running on the PS3; see 4.x above). The PS1 hardware predated USB and Bluetooth, and Sony used a proprietary plug type for PS1 controllers. The PS2 had USB support, but it used the proprietary plugs from the PS1 as the main controller interface for backward compatibility reasons. PS2 games had to be specifically programmed to use USB controllers, and as a result, few games did.
In any case, if you have an original Dual Shock (PS1) or Dual Shock 2 (PS2) controller, then you’re not missing that much, since the motion-sensitive controls of the SIXAXIS and Dual Shock 3 won’t work in PS1 or PS2 games anyway. Also, the lack of an Analog button on the Dual Shock 3 would make most PS1 games unplayable.
