Tokyo Game Show 07: The Dual Shock 3

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.

The Dual Shock 3

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.

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.

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.