The Story Behind the PlayStation Controller’s Design

The PlayStation controller wasn’t always meant to have handles. And what the heck do Triangle, Circle, X and Square mean anyway?

Teiyu Goto, the man responsible for the design of the overall look of PlayStation hardware, spoke to Famitsu recently (Translated by 1up) and told them about what went into creating the controller, which has changed very little since the original DualShock.

Goto had an idea for a controller that incorporated handles, but the management department didn’t want that. They felt that the controller had to be similar to an SNES controller in order to be accepted by gamers. Luckily, the president of Sony at the time, Norio Ohga, liked the design that Goto had originally come up with, and it eventually stuck.

As for the buttons, Goto says each one has a meaning:

“The triangle refers to viewpoint; I had it represent one’s head or direction and made it green. Square refers to a piece of paper; I had it represent menus or documents and made it pink. The circle and X represent ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decision-making and I made them red and blue respectively. People thought those colors were mixed up, and I had to reinforce to management that that’s what I wanted.”

The shapes are now easily recognized and have become an immediately identifiable part of the PlayStation brand. As the late, great Paul Harvey would say, “And now you know the rest of the story…”

[Via 1up.com]