The PlayStation Expo in Japan buzzed amid their showcase of major titles like Final Fantasy VII and Rage Racer. However, Sony had a welcome surprise hidden up its sleeve: The next evolution in game control on PlayStation - The Dual Analog Controller. Tucked away behind a glass display, the controller resembled the existing design with a distinct addition. Two thumb-sized analog sticks at the base of the joypad in addition to an LED toggle for swapping analog and digital play modes.
This design refines Sony's oft-criticized, bulky dual-joystick peripheral into a sleek, affordable alternative. Early impressions from Japanese testers have been enthusiastic, especially for its precise control. Tactile sensations - a light tremble when something small happens, a real kick from impacts already exist in games such as Tobal 2, Rally Cross, and Bushido Blade. These folks rave about the responsiveness of the sticks, some claiming it outperforms the Nintendo 64.
And yet, not all has gone smoothly for Sony since the conclusion of their Expo. A patent dispute in the U.S. caused Sony to pause rollout of the controller's much-lauded rumble function. Two inventors from Atari Games filed a similar technology patent back in 1991, tossing a wrench into Sony's plans to release the vibration-enabled model globally. This feature will be reserved for Japanese games players while North America and Europe will receive the standard model.
