 | |
| Developer | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sony |
| Type | Gamepad |
| Generation | Seventh |
| Release date | November 11, 2006 |
| Input |
|
| Connectivity | USB, Bluetooth (PlayStation 3 and PSP Go) |
| Power | 3.7 V Li-ion battery, USB host powered |
| Dimensions | 157 mm × 95 mm × 55 mm 6.18 in × 3.74 in × 2.16 in |
| Mass | 137.1 g 4.83 oz |
| Predecessor | DualShock 2 |
| Successor | DualShock 3 |
The Sixaxis (trademarked SIXAXIS) is a wireless gamepad produced by Sony for their PlayStation 3 video game console. It was introduced alongside the PlayStation 3 in 2006 and remained the console's official controller until 2008. The Sixaxis was succeeded by the DualShock 3, an updated version of the controller that, like the DualShock and DualShock 2 controllers, incorporates haptic technology – also known as force feedback. A Sixaxis controller can also be used with PSP Go and the PlayStation TV via Bluetooth after registering the controller on a PlayStation 3 console.
The DualShock 3 was originally intended to be bundled with the PlayStation 3 in time for the console's launch; however, Sony was in the midst of appealing a decision from a 2004 lawsuit involving patent infringement claimed by Immersion. The two companies were at odds over the haptic feedback technology used in earlier PlayStation controllers. The legal battle led to a decision to remove the vibration capabilities from the PS3 controller's initial design, which became known as Sixaxis.
The term "sixaxis" is also used to refer to the motion-sensing technology in PlayStation 3 controllers. It is a contraction of "six axis", which refers to the ability to sense motion in all axes of the six degrees of freedom.[citation needed] The name is a misnomer because there are only three axes: X, Y, and Z, which allows six degrees of freedom (rotation about each axis and translation along each axis). The Sixaxis name is also a palindrome, where it is spelled the same way backwards and forwards.