The Japanese website AV Watch has recently shared a preview of the PlayStation 5 which shows more than just the console in all its physical glory, but also its DualSense controller that comes with a shocking twist.
In case you haven’t been leaving under a rock in the last two decades, then you’re probably aware of how the DualShock controller varies in button functionality between the West and the East.
The primary difference being the way the “circle” and “cross” buttons work between two regions, with the West considering the “cross” button as the control for confirming an action and the “circle” being for cancel. Conversely, those in the East, particularly in Japan, do exactly the complete reverse. In fact, it’s the other way around, considering that the PlayStation has origins in Japan, and thereby an East Asian product.
In Japan, and some of its Asian neighbors, the idea of assigning the “circle” button for confirmation does make logical sense. After all, the circle denotes either a “true” or “yes” within these societies, subsequently leaving the cross either a “false” or “no” in essence.
It is not clearly told why the West chose to differentiate from this rather relatable design. Ultimately, it simply did not.
Universal button functionality
But this “confusion” is bound to be erased as Sony seeks to universalize the button functionality with the DualSense. Surprisingly, it will not base on the Eastern standard that Japan and its Asian neighbors have been using all these years. Rather, it will adopt that of the West, possibly confusing the aforementioned Asian markets in the process.
The confirmation comes from a Sony Interactive Entertainment PR, as reported in AV Watch.
Dilemma in button placements
The issue with button functionality is not necessarily exclusive to the PlayStation, however. If you’re a gamer who plays on multiple gaming platforms, the issue of button symbols having similarity with one another is another case of disarray.
The trouble is particularly true among all three major gaming consoles. Platforms that appear to have a commonality with the “cross” symbol are only placed at a different corner on each controller.
The Xbox series controller has the cross button in a spot where the DualShock’s controller has it with the “square” button. Alternatively, it is in a location where a Nintendo console controller has it with “Y.”
The button placements are least among Japanese consumer concerns for their relatively low adoption of the Xbox. It is far easier to acquaint oneself with the disparity in the button layouts between fewer consoles, after all. But this, too, might see change as Microsoft is keen on entering the Japanese market once again.
Image used courtesy of PlayStation/YouTube Screenshot