Along with their Wii accessories, Power A also showed me what they got cooking for the PS3. Out of everything they showed me during E3, I liked the Power A Pro Elite Wireless Controller the most. The control features rumble, SIXAXIS and textured grips that feel good in the hands. The entire thing feels a hell of a lot better than the standard controller especially in terms of the trigger buttons. The wireless version will go for $49.99 while the wired controller will be go for just $20. Cheap, but at the cost of the SIXAXIS function.
I also got to see the 3-in-1 remote which is a DVD remote, chat pad and retro style controller all-in-one. The chat pad will still work while you're using the regular PS3 controller and feels comfortable while holding it as a retro controller. I did notice that the controller slides out of place a little in the closed position. This will set you back $39.99. This and the PS3 controllers will be out in September.
The last item on display was the Media Expansion Bar for the PS3. This will plug in right in front of a PS3 Slim and adds three more USB ports. There's also a SD, Pro Duo and Flash card support in the bar. It'll go for $19.99 when it's on sale later this month.
I really prefer these Power A controllers over the standard ones. I imagine it will be hard to sell them though as they're going for the same price as a regular controller.
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Contest:
3:40 PM on 06.23.2010
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Also, @amtalx,
There's a reason the DualShock is the most popular controller design of all time. Methinks you're in the minority on this one.
Though I'll admit that the DS3's "triggers" suck balls (which is why I got those Real Trigger thingies online). Who STILL thinks the conVEX design is a good idea? It's not like it would be hard to change.
Maybe I am in the minority. However, the DualShock controller was designed a decade ago when a majority of games used the D-pad as the primary method for movement. It made sense then to give the left stick secondary placement. In current games the D-Pad is primarily used for weapon selection, inventory management, shortcuts, etc. It simply doesn't make sense for it to have such a prominent location on the controller anymore.
The DualShock is accepted simply because we cling to it's familiarity, not because it's the most logical or ergonomic design.
depending on the wire length, the wired one will be my controller of choice.
I do like the retro-style PS3 remote + chatpad. I'd love to play some PSN games NES-style.
I guess I'm more of a d-pad guy, myself, since I play a lot of fighters and analog sticks are horrible for fighters.
Maybe it's because I have long thumbs, but I don't think either placement of the d-pad or stick is really more "prominent" than the other, and I actually like having my thumbs in the same general areas when I'm playing an FPS.
Honestly, I think it's just an issue of people getting used to whatever controller they use the most. Really, the only people I usually see complain about the PS3 stick placement are people that game primarily on the 360, and vice versa.
Probably just a matter of taste. I mean, hell, some people actually still like the N64 controller, or to a slightly lesser extent, the Gamecube controller! Those things were so bad in so many ways that I can't fathom who thought they were good ideas.
For me the off set sticks are a godsend as my hands are freakish in size and squashing my thumbs down to use the analog sticks is uncomfortable for extended play.
As for the gamecube controller - I preferred that to the dualshock as well.
The problem with the 360-style control layout is it makes the D-pad entirely more difficult to access, making it nearly useless in games. That makes some games that use both the analog stick and the d-pad uncomfortable. The Dualshock is slightly worse for using the analog stick, but you trade that for equal access to the d-pad. I don't know what "modern" games you're talking about, since most games I've been playing use the d-pad for selecting things like equipment or weapons, or quick short cuts, and the 360-style layout makes it quite difficult to manage that stuff quickly. This "use the d-pad for things that aren't movement" is a rather recent idea, so I'd call that a element in "modern games". I've got both a PS3 and a 360, but I prefer to play games with modern d-pad equipment selection on PS3.
Yes, and the reverse of that is my problem with the dualshock. As it makes the analog stick more difficult to access - especially for my large hands. Fact is these days analog sticks are more widely used in games that d-pads are. I fail to see how the dualshock offers any more "equal access" to the d-pad and sticks than the 360 pad does as the positioning of them is extremely similar - only reversed.
"I've got both a PS3 and a 360, but I prefer to play games with modern d-pad equipment selection on PS3."
Congratulations, so do I. But for the reasons I've stated I prefer to play games with modern d-pad selection on the 360. Regardless this is a preference issue and something we are unlikely to agree on.
Besides your missing my main point, the positioning of sticks is, for me, a side issue. More to the point is the sponginess of said sticks. They lack the precision of the 360 sticks (much like the 360 d-pad is horrible and lacks the precision of the PS3 d-pad).
I would be presenting the reverse of this argument were this article about a 3rd party 360 controller. Then I would be complaining about the d-pad.
My hands fit the dualshock perfectly. The 360 controller is too big and I have problems reaching the right d-pad button or Y. This one looks pretty big compared to the original...
How heavy is it? I looks rather light and more like the new classic controller pro for wii.
@amtalx: "Maybe I am in the minority. However, the DualShock controller was designed a decade ago when a majority of games used the D-pad as the primary method for movement."
No, my friend, you are NOT in the minority! My biggest complaint about the Dualshock is that very reason! The triggers suck balls too.
But anyways, these look pretty good. I shall bookmark their page: *cough CTZ cough* [url]www.powera.com[/url] for when the accessories are released. I am definitely picking up one of those remotes and one of those Elite pads. Maybe a Peripherally Speaking is required here? :D
Just because you agree with someone doesn't mean you aren't the minority.
Admittedly, the polls I'm thinking of are from like a year or two back, but I believe about 50% of the respondents preferred the DualShock design with about 25-30% for the 360 design and the remaining percentage divided among other systems' controllers.
Yes, I know that's a strange analogy, but you get my point.
I'm certainly not saying that offset analog sticks are demonstrably better in all scenarios, but DualShock's ubiquity gives it a distinct 'preference' advantage. Personally I would support having both symmetric and asymmetric controller designs for BOTH systems, but in most cases (excluding shmups, fighters, and puzzle games) an offset design is superior.
And I seriously wish USB controller worked with PS2 games -- Some games work, but most don't.
Except with fighting games ofcourse then the 360 joypad has no right to exist...
I don't play PS3 mainly for the horrid controller design, the triggers are god awefull! FPS and racers should use triggers for delivering the action, be it acceleration or busting caps. $20 for a wired one? Wow, maybe my preorder of TDU2 on PS3 won't be so bad after all. That is a PS3-360 controller if I ever seen one, and I am definatly liking what I have seen so far.
I have avoided gaming on the PS3 for its archaic 15 year old legacy controller design, ok ok, 12 year old design, but still, dual shock was a stop gap for the late 90's. They need to officially make them like this, and have an option of 2 types of controllers for those that like the 360 and now the Power A controller better than the SIXAXIS.
Definatly going to get one at GameStop when they come out! Plus lt looks like it should work directly on a PC by default! I know every USB controller I ever used works just fine!
One thing though, how confused would a 360 get if this thing was plugged into its port? I know the 360 controllers have some kind of firmware in them, cause they auto detect on PC and install drivers to it. But would it glitch the system? Food for thought! :D
I don't play PS3 mainly for the horrid controller design, the triggers are god awefull! FPS and racers should use triggers for delivering the action, be it acceleration or busting caps. $20 for a wired one? Wow, maybe my preorder of TDU2 on PS3 won't be so bad after all. That is a PS3-360 controller if I ever seen one, and I am definatly liking what I have seen so far.
I have avoided gaming on the PS3 for its archaic 15 year old legacy controller design, ok ok, 12 year old design, but still, dual shock was a stop gap for the late 90's. They need to officially make them like this, and have an option of 2 types of controllers for those that like the 360 and now the Power A controller better than the SIXAXIS.
Definatly going to get one at GameStop when they come out! Plus lt looks like it should work directly on a PC by default! I know every USB controller I ever used works just fine!
One thing though, how confused would a 360 get if this thing was plugged into its port? I know the 360 controllers have some kind of firmware in them, cause they auto detect on PC and install drivers to it. But would it glitch the system? Food for thought! :D
Yes, I know that's a strange analogy, but you get my point.
I'm certainly not saying that offset analog sticks are demonstrably better in all scenarios, but DualShock's ubiquity gives it a distinct 'preference' advantage. Personally I would support having both symmetric and asymmetric controller designs for BOTH systems, but in most cases (excluding shmups, fighters, and puzzle games) an offset design is superior."
Once again I'm in full agreement with amtalx.