Control Issues:

When pictures of the PlayStation 3 first broke cover, the console was coupled with a very bizarre looking controller -- some likened it to a boomerang, others thought that it looked like a croissant. But that proved to be a false alarm, since a few months later Sony revealed that the PlayStation 3 controller would look almost identical to the PlayStation 2 controller, which itself was pretty much an exact copy of the PlayStation 1 controller.

Of course in reality the PS3 SixAxis controller is very different to its predecessors, despite looking like it was separated at birth. The most obvious difference is that the SixAxis connects to the console wirelessly using Bluetooth. Of course having a wireless controller is far from groundbreaking these days, since both the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii ship with wireless controllers, but the PlayStation 3 is the only console that won't have you rummaging around for AA batteries on a regular basis.

Whereas both the X360 and Wii controllers are powered by standard AA batteries, the SixAxis is a rechargeable unit. You can charge the controller using the supplied USB to mini-USB cable -- I always like to see standard cables being used, so if you lose the bundled cable just grab any other USB to mini-USB cable. Sony quotes around 30 hours of playtime between charges and I wouldn't dispute that. I've been amazed at how long the SixAxis has gone between charges, and I usually find myself hooking it up to a USB port more out of habit than necessity.

The first thing I noticed about the SixAxis is how light it is. Picking up an X360 controller after using the SixAxis does feel like a chore, despite the fact that I think that the X360 wireless controller is superb. Further investigation shows some more significant changes over the old PS2 controller. First up is the PlayStation button, which acts as an override switch, allowing you to quit games, drop back to the XMB, and even switch the console on and off. In short, the PlayStation button on the SixAxis is pretty much an exact copy of the Xbox button on the X360 controller -- but hey, if Microsoft has got it right, why try something different?

Another major improvement comes in the form of larger L2 and R2 buttons. These buttons also have far more travel, making them feel more like analogue triggers -- again this is clearly to keep up with the X360, or even the original Xbox controller. The only problem with these new triggers is that I often found myself having to hold the SixAxis uncomfortably if I wanted to accelerate with the right trigger and steer with the left analogue stick. After a bit of practice I got used to it, but it definitely doesn't feel as natural as it could.

The analogue sticks feel more sensitive than the old PS2 controller, making first person shooter games far more enjoyable. Trying to take out a German soldier with a sniper rifle from 300 yards in Call of Duty 3 is far easier than I would have expected it to be -- the analogue sticks manage to register even the slightest movement, so it's easy to zero in on your targets. Conspicuous by its absence is any form of rumble in the SixAxis -- this omission is compounded by the fact that both the X360 and Wii offer integrated rumble in their wireless controllers.

But of course the smartest trick that the SixAxis has up its sleeve is its built-in motion sensors. The controller can register movement in six planes -- up, down, left, right, forwards and backwards -- hence the name, SixAxis. When I'm feeling cynical I'll describe this feature as a desperate attempt to compete with the Wii's revolutionary control method, but I do have to admit that the SixAxis works surprisingly well at times.

Fire up a game like MotorStorm -- a ridiculously over the top, but very addictive off road racer -- and you'll soon forget about the analogue stick and start controlling your truck, car or bike by tilting the SixAxis from side to side. There are other instances where the motion sensor feature is shoe horned into games with little benefit, but I imagine that developers will learn to use this feature to its best ability over time.

Despite the fact that I really did want Sony to come up with an all new controller for its latest PlayStation, it is amazing how natural the SixAxis feels in the hand. I'm sure that Sony did a lot of research and threw together hundreds of focus groups when designing the PS3 and I'll bet that most die hard PlayStation fans wanted a familiar controller -- the SixAxis is just that.