R.I.P. classic Playstation accessories (PS3 annoyance #1)

by Kyle Orland on Nov 13th 2006 6:10PM

We are gathered here today to mourn the practical obsolescence of the various Playstation and PS2 accessories we have gathered over the last ten years. With the Playstation 3 missing the controller ports and memory card slots that have been standard for the last two generations of Sony hardware, we're suddenly stuck with a vast array of Dual Shocks, drums, dance pads and guitars that can't be used to play old games on our new hardware, not to mention all the game saves that are trapped on our memory cards.

We're aware that Sony has announced a USB adapter to transfer old memory card data, and that third party USB adapters can revive our old controllers (except for those guitars, it seems), but it's still a little annoying that Sony is asking us to buy extra hardware to support our old accessories. It's admirable that Sony has embraced industry-wide standards like USB, SD, CompactFlash and MemoryStick for wired inputs, but it's regrettable that they've done this at the expense of their old, proprietary hardware. Would it have been so difficult to stick a couple of memory card and controller ports onto the front of what is an already input-filled system?

Tags: controllers, inputs, PS2, PS3, ps3annoy

Reader Comments (54)

Um, what are you complaining about? At least they're providing the means for transferring our old game saves. Do you expect PCs to continue including SCSI and serial ports for our old scanners and input devices? You have to make the transition sooner or later, and adding legacy ports just takes more space and adds cost to the system, which is already expensive enough, thank you very much.

and yet, you arent annoyed that companies like microsoft and nintendo change their whole controller and all of the controller ports every single generation. wow.

"but it's still a little annoying that Sony is asking us to buy extra hardware to support our old accessories"

At least Sony is giving us the ability to do that. Unlike Microsoft, who abandoned their previous system entirely. What if I did want to use the travel-to-space orginal xbox controller!!

Guys, these annoyances aren't exclusive to the PS3, but they exist on it nonetheless. Here's two options: you can use all your old memory cards and controllers or you can't. Which one do you prefer?

out with the old, in with the new.

Actually it is a big deal for them to add the extra ports. This would only have driven the cost of production up, which would have caused even more haters complaining that Sony didn't give us a choice and just included the features.

For those of us who don't have guitars, I don't care and I DESPISE overpriced memory cards.

"It's admirable that Sony has embraced industry-wide standards like... ...MemoryStick"

That's not admirable. They're responsible for MemoryStick existing as a format. It's just about the only media format they've created that actually was adopted by the mass-consumer-market.

What's admirable is that said market adopted MemoryStick with a half-dozen alternatives already out there.

This might be the dumbest post ever. More blatant PS3 bashing. Does the 360 use old xbox controllers and memory cards? Did any Nintendo up until the Wii even let you play older console games right out of the box (minus handhelds)? Yea all those old Xbox controllers have USB, don't you know? And hell you don't need the classic controller to play VC games? Oh wait you do? Oh wait you don't? Seems like no one really knows the answer to that one. Hell until the ps2 had backwards compatibility you had to keep those old shitty consoles around. Whine whine whine

I think the standards that Sony is estabilishing now will carry forward onto the next console easier, by using Bluetooth and HDD saves.

the PS3 supports all PS1/2 pads and memory cards, just through adaptors. I dont see how this is an annoyance, they arent obsolete they just require one cable to work.

Y'know, all you little geeks who love to run around shouting "joystiq is bias!" need to remember two things. First of all, the word is "biasED," not "bias," and second, you were awfully quiet during the list of Xbox360 annoyances a year ago. Just because Sony has had the almighty mother a launch train-wreck doesn't mean every site that notices the problems is biased.

C. Grant, the thing is, you cant just post an article saying it is a ps3 annoyance, you should post one article saying it is an annoyance for all the consoles. You cant take out all of your anger on just one console missing something that in one way or another all the NGs do.

"9. I think the standards that Sony is estabilishing now will carry forward onto the next console easier, by using Bluetooth and HDD saves."

Wow, Sony came up with the idea of saving your console games to a hard drive? Don't let Microsoft know!

The adapter to transfer your old saves to the system is half the price of a new memory card. That's $15 to upgrade to a memory card with an amount of space that no one will likely ever use.

Yes, the PS3 has it's fair share of problems, but whining over this just seems petty.

@ 2

Actually, Ethan, the nintendo Wii can use any of controller ports - bongo drums, DDR mats, ect. Its extremely convenient and a nice - and after Sony has made PS and PS2 extrememly backwords compatable control-port wise for the past....10 years?....and then to suddenly pull that out of there system is kind of annoying. The controller is the same - why make everone rebuy 4 controllers *aka = $150 addition down the drain*

Mr. Pitso Wombiddity III,

actually, either way is fine.

2. a particular tendency or inclination, esp. one that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a question; prejudice.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bias

Thanks for posting this Joystiq, I always loved your "_____ annoyance #1" series, could you possibly do one for the Wii too? Thanks.

@ Person - "16. Thanks for posting this Joystiq, I always loved your "_____ annoyance #1" series, could you possibly do one for the Wii too? Thanks."

Been there, done that:

http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/11/dude-wheres-my-cursor-wii-annoyance-1/

And yet, with people picking apart each system, this site will still be flooded with "zomg u [insert system here] fanboys!" comments.

Stinkbox,

enjoy plugging in you SNES controller to play VC games, just dont ruin your wii.

Ethan: http://loading.se/blogg.php?user_id=12&blogg_id=1117

So cut the crap.

For all you people bitching about Joytiq bias obviously are very one eyed and have not realised that they have been doing the EXACT same thing with the Wii for the past couple of days. Go back to campin out for a PS3 preorder.

Roflmao, I really thought it was Xbox that needed the Memory Cards last gen, more then that of the PS2. The Xbox weighed a tonne, which iddiot was going to carry that....thing....round to thier mates house to play games, lol, while PS2 owners only had to take one small card, and even still, the PS2 was small, and the slimline made the Xbox look like a mother of all things computerised (which it certainly wasn't) with its sheer size and blandness.

Even more practicality. Last gen was oh so funny, lol.

Meh, I just want the features to go back in time, fullstop, don't mind costs, just let me play my PS1 and 2 games :P One more feature to blow my cover would be if you could get your PSP on your tv screen using your PS3 and use the PSP as the controller like GBA Advanced could with Gamecube. That would be pretty awesome.

Oh no!

Why can't I use my old 1MB PS1 and 8MB PS2 cards? Why am I forced to buy a SD card for $15 that stores 1GB?

The horror.

This is unbelievable. Sony moves to non-proprietary interfaces and memory cards and provides ways to use the old one for a nominal fee (in the case of controllers, the fee doesn't even go to Sony) and Joystiq finds a way to complain about it.

Why, oh why didn't Sony soak me for $60 for a low-quality wireless headset (like MS) instead of supporting my PS2 USB SOCOM one I already have or letting me buy a Bluetooth or USB one from the company of my choice?

Whoever came up with this first annoyance needs to be shot in the face. Research the term Next-Gen before you post stupid posts on Joystiq. We're moving forwards, not backwards. Look at the 360 and Wii if you want to talk about throwing away your old accessories. I'd take the sixaxis over my old dual shock controller anyday. And if you can afford a PS3, you can afford a memory card adapter, and a controller adapter. Just plain stupid Kyle.

It was my mate that made me laugh the most though, he had bought an Xbox, I had PS2 (still do), he used to boast about it (no suprise) but everytime he came to my house, he had trouble getting it there, lol, I used to find it rather humourous and ask him if he needed help, when he eventually got to my house, he could never be bothered to take it back home as it was too big, so left it at my house, I played a few games I liked on it, Halo and Sega GT, that was about it, but it remained there collecting dust, then he eventually sold it, moaning it was pointless, all I could say was "I told you so".

Dude, alex, what the hell was that? linking me to a german site? I dont speak freaky deeky dutch. Anyway, all that chart showed is that you have to buy other controllers in order to play vc games. you still cant use your snes controller.

@Eric Von Shpeel

How do you not see that as an annoyance? You have to go out and buy adapters if you want to use your old stuff. That IS annoying, but its just a small annoyance.

They aren't saying THIS SUCKS DONT BUY A PS3. They are just listing the annoyances of the system, like they will/have done with the wii and xbox360.

Personally, I don't think this should be an annoyance to bring up now, we've known about this for a while. It's like saying Annoyance #2, The PS3 doesn't come with component cables or The Sixaxis doesn't have rumble. I want to see real annoyances that we won't know about til we pick up the system. Like "The ps3 can't use the wireless lan it is plugged into to access the psp" - I need to know if only the $600 ps3 can access the psp wirelessly or not.

I love xbox but people are starting to become a lil Bytchy. I mean sony was the ONLY one to continue over controllers, and memcards. No ONE and i mean not even sega did that, so with that said its time to move everyone's Bytching, this is why you cant do a nice thing one in a while people start expecting heaven to fall in their laps STOP BYTCHING!!!

This looks like the end for Sony

lol is it that all you (joystiq) can do on Sony's first annoyance?

Wii and 360 have the worse one.

Oh, that's fine. I'll just buy a USB to PS2 controller adapter from lik-sang..... oh WAIT..... I am totally sick of Sony's crap. Maddox put it very well.

Joystiq is officially retarded x 2 and anti-sony x 2694468541!

Because, Xbox360 is the same way, and you can't even use old Xbox controllers! Joystiq Fails at reporting... must be why they are only good for interesting facts, and not general reporting.

You pissed off Ethan. Now I'm mad.

"Yea all those old Xbox controllers have USB, don't you know?"

Well, yeah actually. The original Xbox controllers WERE USB devices, just with a proprietary connector. Any fool with a soldering iron and a spare controller can make an adapter for about $3.

Why Microsoft didn't keep a similar HID profile for the 360 controllers as the originals, I'll never understand.

wow Joystiq is the biggest idiotic gaming blog I have ever read in my entire life.

if the PS3 contained all proprietary inputs, Joystiq (and anyone else out there) would complain about how its unfair that Sony forces us to use their proprietary stuff.

But the PS3 makes a great move and contains all these non-proprietary inputs and Joystiq STILL complains now that PS3 should have contained the proprietary stuff. What kind of idiots are you?

JOYSTIQ EDITORS == COMPLETE IDIOTS WITH NOTHING WORTHWHILE TO REPORT ON

meh, w/e I don't see a problem. I'm sure you can still find room somewhere beneath your TV for the old PS2 (especially the slimline). This way you can still play all of your favorite games (with rumble, I might add).

@#34 "Why Microsoft didn't keep a similar HID profile for the 360 controllers as the originals, I'll never understand."

It's 'cuz they want you to have to buy a new (360) controller.

...just like all the rest of 'em.

Wow. Apparently people don't understand the definition of "Annoyance". Nobody is saying it's a system-ruiner.

The fact of the matter is that it *IS* annoying. Case closed. Sure, there may be some justification for it, but again, it still is annoying.

For the record, the Wii has GC ports and GC memcard slots... I can't believe how quick the Sony fanboys are to jump on last-gen Nintendo consoles because they didn't include it. Welcome to "next-gen" everyone: Stop comparing old stuff to new stuff.

Okay, some people are still confused.

"Bias" is a noun. It cannot be used in place of a verb, or an adjective.

"Biased" is an adjective, a modifier if you will. This is what you want to say.

When you say, "Joystiq is bias," what you should be saying is, "Joystiq is biased," because that's how grammar works.

Unless you're saying Joystiq is actually bias, which would be as stupid as saying "DVDs are pencil" or "George Bush is pants".

haha see the thing for joystiq is, this is all they can come up with for ps3 annoyances. It seems like the ps3 has no flaws and this is all they can come up with.

Did I not call this?

Make annoyances about the other systems, and the SDF are quiet. Point out when sony is screwing them, and the SDF go to full alert.

Kyle Orland your an idiot. darko82 said it perfectly. there needs to be a transition sometime. this is not an annoyance. do some real reporting.

Either way I dont see why anyone would be happy about this, except maybe it makes it cheaper but if you got $600 to spend on a ps3 a little extra can't hurt.

"We are gathered here today to mourn the practical obsolescence of the various Playstation and PS2 accessories we have *gather* over the last ten years."

Bahahahahahaha

"Kyle Orland *your* an idiot."

Bahahahaha

I'm pissed.

I went to Walmart today to buy a DVD player and not one of them allowed me to play my Betamax tape of Towering Inferno. This is a$$.

Damn progress...

wait wait... so you can use your xbox1 controllers and memory cards for 360? i sure cant, i had to start new files for all my xbox1 games (ok ok i only had a couple splinter cell games but still) and had to buy all new controllers.

sony was the only company that made the controllers/memory cards backwards compatible for last generation. and even this generation, MS totally abandoned its xbox1 hardware. Atleast sony offers memory card adaptors as a choice, and nintendo has GC controller ports.

i think the generation after this will be best because since they are wireless ... i bet PS4 and nitnendos next will support bluetooth again and controller port compatibility wont matter. but i bet MS will switch to bluetooth next gena fter 360.

If I can't use my awesome Tekken 5 arcade controller with Tekken, or my Jogcon with ridge racer, then there truly is no point in me getting a PS3. I'll stick with my PS2 which supports everything.

This isn't that big of a deal, almost every ps2 gamer I know has the software to move their ps2 (I'm not sure about ps1 saves though) game saves to the ps3. It is called Codebreaker. It will allow you to copy you saves to a thumb drive, BUT I don't have a ps3 to see if indeed it does work. I can't think of a reason why it wouldn't.

"Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal." --Albert Einstein

I think people are missing the most important point here... no Guitar Hero for the PS3.

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R.I.P. classic Playstation accessories (PS3 annoyance #1)

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