Joystiq readers redesign the PS3 controller

by Conrad Quilty-Harper on Jan 25th 2006 3:00PM

Since we started our latest redesign contest we've had an overwhelming response from you, our readers. Now we can proudly show you the winner of the contest, along with three runners-up! And the winner is...

Adam Portilla's (Chicago, IL) PS3 "Ball Controller" redesign!

Adam's design was an attempt to create a controller that could do everything the dual shock controller could do and more. At the same time he felt that it was important for it to stand out as something completely new and different. Innovations include a built-in microphone, bilateral symmetry (uh, the left side's the same as the right!) wireless capabilities and accuracte force feedback, made possible by its spherical construction. Most importantly the design was an attempt at simplicity and flexibility in terms of button placement. Well done Adam! Once you've sent us your precise address, we'll send off your copy of X3: The Reunion.

Our runners up include:

Einhanderkiller's remarkably accurate Playstation and Xbox 360 controller amalgamation. If Sony and Microsoft unexpectedly merged their next-gen console efforts, this is possibly what the controller would look like!

Charlie Tang's idea of tweaking the PS2's extremely popular Dual Shock controller was a very popular one. We got many entries including a picture of the Dual Shock under the heading "why fix what ain't broke?". Charlie went the extra mile with his Dual Shock tweak design. He took the number one complaint levied against the Dual Shock and set about fixing it. After speaking with friends he found that the main issue was the location of the left analog stick. So he moved it up to where the D-pad used to be and make the controller wireless. Nicely done.

Malte "Sagan" Sharupke's Lego brick inspired model really caught our eye because of its innovative "DIY" approach to controller design. Whilst the ergonomics are questionable (Lego bricks aren't the most comfortable things to hold!) the principles behind the design are excellent. As part of his design, he imagined that developers would be able to include their own parts for their own games. So if Nintendo doesn't bother to create one, you can build a sword to swipe at enemies in Zelda!

Thanks to all the people that entered the competition!

See also: Joystiq readers redesign the Nintendo DS

Source

Tags: art, concepts, playstation, PS3

Reader Comments (86)

Actually I think the reason why they have to redesign is due to that lawsuit with Immersion, the in controller vibration guys. Because everyone and thier mama knows the DualShock is probably the best controller we've ever seen.

Love the ball. I would drop the d-pad on the right though. Nice to add but getting rid of it would simplify it just nicely. And hollowing it out would give it an extra "ooo" factor. Sweet design though. It would make an awesome controller. *hopes*

THE BAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!

Adam, just put two trigger buttons on the other side and it's ready go. This is the most innovative idea and if sony does not pick it up a third party should. Really, I am looking forward to buying this in the future.

I like Charlie Tang's idea as well. It's classic, simple, and we know it works. This model appears to be flawless in terms of comfortable game play. Sony should offer this as an accessory as well.

The 360 controller is not an option. What ever you do don't rip off Microsoft. That's corney.

Amazes me that every time new controllers/controller concepts are made, they look ALOT like the gamecube controller....
examples:
look at xbox original controller when it got "redesgined" into the s-controller... extreme resemblence to NGC controller...
now look at the controller by Charlie... looks even more like a NGC controller.

Charlie, im not criticising ur work or anything, its amazing, i mean ill never be able to do somthing like that, but im just saying as a general comment.... new controllers mainly look like NGC controllers...

For Nick of Comment No. 2:
Do realize that Sony has stolen Nintendo's ideas before, what will stop them now?

-Will Cookson
ps (basically my first thought about third place was GameCube too)

WOW and they all still look worse and more uncomfortable than the boomerang.

ball controllers? oh yeah.

and if you had your ps3 in the upright position, and two ball controllers lying next to it on the table? what would you get?

i'll take the boomerang anyday over one of these profanities.

how bout redesign the atari 2600 controller add three buttons and there you have it but I know if Sony tried that they would screw it up and make it look like the Jagaurs with 30 buttons and half aren't used

Haha, yeah I guess ya'll don't know why Sony can't go back to the Dual Shock design. The original designer of the dual shock tech is pissed for all the success of his controller that was illegally taken from him basically. Sony didn't pay him for his troubles or anything, to a long time to get the case into court, but just in time to screw up the ps3. This is a really vague explaination and not totally accurate(but only so the average reader here can understand the information). Research it more if you want to know the whole story behind it.

Pixels for my people!

Oh yeah and by the way, the ball thing is kick ass, but I can see my hands cramping in a fps with that set up and the button placement, but it kicks ass to see a new idea.

I think the round controller would be the best. I would also like to see somthing for the leftys. My budy who is not right handed has a hard time with the right hand cntrolers.

I'm not offended at all Darkshadow. Frankly, I have never even touched a GameCube controller, but I know where you're coming from. It's perfectly understandable how one simple little change could mean that you're copying another thing. It's probably hard nowadays to get a decent unique controller design out there that will please the masses and at the same time offer ease of use. So where will companies turn to to make everything perfect? The answer: Each other. To me, they're all practically copies of one another to a certain extent. In fact, you could pretty much say that all controllers are pretty much the same/similar if we want to get technical.

Here's what a left-handed controller looks like based of my simple design change (for comedic value, I opened it up in paint and did the best I could):

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3981/lefthanded9pn.jpg

I can see the ad tagline now...

PS3: Got Balls?

I really don't like the idea of having two analogs at different heights like that. I was always glad the Dualshock still has the D-pad in the central location like that, reminds me of a SNES controller (which are still awesome). I haven't really played the X-box or Gamecube much, but I must admit, it feels strange for me to have the two analogs on different elevations like that when you really have to use the both of them.

One neat tweak or 3rd party could be switching the location of the D-pads and face buttons for the analogs. Since in a lot of first-person shooters or action games you only use face buttons to switch weapons or input less critical commands, I could see that working. You're using the shoulder buttons for most things anyway. They'd be more like option buttons then, and your thumbs wouldn't have to reach to the centre of the pad like the current Dualshock for the analogs you're using as the primary controls. Hope someone tries that someday, I'd pick that pad up for sure. Anyway, just some thoughts.

The ball is a nice-looking design, but, like firerock said, it's very remniscent of Hori's slime controller, which is maybe the least ergonomic controller I've used. When you have to grip and cradle something that large and awkward, it's difficult to apply pressure naturally to the buttons, especially when they're all sloping away at weird angles.

I'd have no problem with the Xbox 360 lookalike, as the 360's controllers are extremely comfortable. The Gamecube swapped stick/dpad one intrigues me as well, although I don't really have an issue with where the left stick has been for the PS1&2. I'd like to try it out, though.

Mostly I just want Sony to improve the Dual Shock's grips. If the boomerang ends up being really nice to hold, then I'd be all for it, despite it looking ridiculous. For now, I'm going to stay skeptical.

The best redesign in my mind would consist of:

1. Einhanderkiller's killer-"redesign"
(with a more colorful PS logo ;-)

2. Replace the crippled joystick on the right hand side by a notebook-style trackball for actual precision.

3. Remove the ridiculous D-Pad and place the ministick right in the middle of the former two..

(I actually don't think the original Dual Shock controller would be more ergonomic by changing the left analog stick's position.
(If you seriously compare any Xbox controller to the dual shock configuration, you might agree with me.)

I feel like I'm posting too much in this, but since the other guys posted higher res images of their mockup, I might as well put mine up.

1704 x 1229

http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/3414/hiresps2mockup4fx.jpg

"1704 x 1229" Ooh, high res... Thanks for the great 'Shop mock-up, Charlie! =)

that lego ones a mad concept but just not possible
how would the electronics in it be attached? and the jagged edges would hurt like crazy... classic dualshock 2 will never get crap - keep that

The boomerang design is perfect. 2 out of 3 ps2 games I've played have astonishingly poor control. Now, thanks to the redesign, when I pitch my controller across the room, it'll come right back to me.

I think that they need to either keep the boomerang controller or the ps2 design the way it is.putting the left anolog were the d pad is is not a good idea.

Does anyone remember the N64 controller? That was a great controller... too bad Joystiq doesn't show all the entries b/c I'm sure someone pulled that design out of the hopper and plagarized it.

I've never liked the PS controllers, and even though the PS3 bat looks a little silly, it's still not as bad as Nintendo's Revolution controller. I think Microsoft did a great job of taking the Xbox controller and perfecting it in the 360 design. Both Sony and Nintendo should go back to the drawing boards!

The ball wins hands down!!!

But I want a mouse and a gameclaw/belkin speedpad setup as well!!!

I luv fps games, but the only way i want to play is with a mouse and separate keyboard-esq setup.

Oh, and sony do do new things, they made all kinds of junk. And kick ass at it, minidisc (old tech i know, but still kickin it here in the land of tech!) The PS1 was sooooo good when it came out, nintendo just seem to be churning the same sort of stuff out over and over! Xbox 360 is cool tho, here in Japan we get the media remote controller free with the console as well!!

Props to Cuby.

The ball design is definitely interesting, but i doubt its new. I vaguely remember a similar concept design for one of the pre-playstation consoles.

The ergonomics of a ball suck. The best idea, imo, is a controller thats split in two. One for each hand. It's easy to do now, too, in the age of wireless controllers. That way you could literally sit in a chair with your arms on the armrests and play away. Uber-comfortable.

lol

Gotta have an OLED screen in the middle, baby! Never need to look up button configs for a game again.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b177/troyzilla/ps3prototype.jpg

THe ball controller looks good, but one small modification should be made...

It should be a bowl, not a ball. Having the buttons across the uniformly curved surface is great, but the back should be concave so that you can hold it.

Yes, a ball itself is very confortable to hold, but you need somewhere to grip so that your thumbs and fingers can lift off the surface to manipulate the controls.

And that D-Pad is perfectly suited for precise control with microscopic tweezers ;)

Can't wait for Street Fighter Alpha EX Zero Tweezer Advanced Ultra 2.5D Edition Unpatched anyway.

the ball has some great potential, as the ergonomic of the controller would be amazing. I would be slightly concerned with the extra d-pad hitting my palm as a a previous user stated, but maybe an on/off switch for the different dpads would be possible. I think having a dpad on both sides could give players more options on how they want to play. Such as offering inverse or standard controls in game. Also I don't know if this option would provide any benefit to lefties? My guess is probabaly not as the controllers don't feel hand dependant, but just a thought. Overall great idea; innovative.

The xbox-style controller, would be nice, but it's obviously not possible. IMHO the new xbox controller is the best one I've ever held. It's basically a melding of the fan-favorite PSX/PS2 controller with that of that average one fro mthe original xbox. Awsome desgin! MS even offers it for PC's now, but a a ball busting $40.

I like the ball idea, but only because it is different. I think it would be hard to play with for a long time. I like the dual shock but I would like to see something different done with analog sticks either an indent where your thumb sits in it. Something were your thumb isn�t raised up so high off the controller. I would also like to see some kind of rubberized grip on the controller to make it easier to hold when your hands get sweaty from playing a game for long period of time, but still clean looking so make the plastic and rubber the same color and wireless is a must.

hmm, Adam Portilla's PS3 "Ball Controller" redesign! look so much like the Hori dragon quest 8 edition PS2 controller.
http://www.hori.jp/dqsc/images/spec_28.gif

http://www.hori.jp/dqsc/images/spec_20.jpg

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/5122/dqcontroller9ca.jpg

Thanks. We now know what a "Sony Terrorist Cell" could look like. Will the controller blow up in my face upon activation.

Sexy.

eew

http://www.atari-computermuseum.de/pics/zubehoer/2600_7800/cx30.jpg

iam sory for you don�t compriender very good all wait i to speak consulte um dicionario(ha ha ha ra) :eu acho que o controle vai ser igual ao do ps1 e do ps2 com uma coisa diferente: vc vai poder escolher entre controle convencional ou o controle opcional. oconvencional e o que todos j?onhece mais tera um R4 e mais um bot?L4 jah o opicional vai ter um gatilho ultravioleta para jogar jogos do tipo alem dos muitos assesorios que foi prometido para o PS2 e a empresa n?compriu com certesa o PS3 ai ter acessorios para tudo ou quaze bom espero que lancem um oculos USB para jogar jogos como half life e "couter strayk" ou seja jogos de tiro em primeira pessoa
kss for ever bory
bjs para todos

hmm looks just like the xbox controller...

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Joystiq readers redesign the PS3 controller

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