How the PlayStations DualShock shaped modern controllers

If you were told to draw a video game controller, what would it look like? Odds are, you’d scribble a rectangle with two downward wings for your palms to grip, a D-pad, four face buttons, shoulder triggers, and a pair of thumbsticks. In other words, you’d draw a PlayStation controller. Sony didn’t invent the controller, but it did essentially invent modern controller design, shaping the look and ergonomics of how we’ve interacted with games for over two decades.

There’s plenty of credit to award when it comes to video game controller design. Nintendo pioneered the core button layout with the SNES (D-pad on one side, face buttons on the other), and both Nintendo and Sega beat Sony to shipping an analog thumbstick for their consoles. But...

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