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Does anyone prefer PS button controller symbols over A/B/X/Y or 1/2/3/4?

Yes. You hit the nail right in the head. That was always something that I thought was fucked up. How can X mean confirm? In which language is that acceptable?

I guess it comes from "check the box" on certain documents etc

There is enough stuff that uses each version "X O" and "O X" in different countries that's never really made me think about it too hard.
 
I vastly prefer the symbols over the letters. They're just so much more fun, and the universal aspect of it is more interesting to me.

I never understood why the Japanese controllers would be using Roman alphabet to identify buttons.
 
Lol, I have troubles when playing on Nintendo platforms due to the placing of the buttons, I'm too used to the xbox layout.
Also preffer R1/2/3 over RT/RB/RS. Its just easier to identify.
 
I like that the PS controller symbols don't lend themselves to layout issues

I have no idea why XY are above A B on Xbox, and it takes me a second to remember if I haven't played it in a bit. Also, i'll never call L1 "bumper" it makes no real sense, it's not a bumper... it's a button, and it's not shaped like a proper bumper in any fashion. WHY IS IT CALLED A BUMPER?!
 
I prefer the Xbox layout for whatever reason. I have no problems with Nintendo, but it is weird considering I've used a 360 controller on my PC for ages and it's just burned into my brain now.

Also have no problem with the Dual Shock symbols, though they're probably my least favourite. My daughter agrees with me there.

But I've played enough on each platform type that the only real button screw-ups come when I'm trying to remember what all the shoulder buttons on the wiimote and nunchuck are called.
 
I like that the PS controller symbols don't lend themselves to layout issues

I have no idea why XY are above A B on Xbox, and it takes me a second to remember if I haven't played it in a bit. Also, i'll never call L1 "bumper" it makes no real sense, it's not a bumper... it's a button, and it's not shaped like a proper bumper in any fashion. WHY IS IT CALLED A BUMPER?!

This confused the heck out of me when I started using my PS controller on PC.
 
The shapes are actually easier for my little ones to understand than the letters. Makes it a little easier when they haven't learned the alphabet/numbers yet.

Other than that, it's just whatever you're used to. I love the ps shapes cause I grew up with them. So X will always be bottom and Square will always be left for me :D
 
It's all buttons in the end, so nah, I don't have a preference either way; I don't get Nintendo's layout confused with Microsoft's also, so it's all gravy.

What does get me at times is when O and X are swapped for games I've imported; muscle memory usually kicks and and backs me out of menus sometimes since I'm used to the N.A. layout of X being Confirm and O being the Cancel (Usually) button.
 
It's all the same shit in the end. It's easy to get used to any of them to the point where it's just instinctual. I actually find it way more confusing going to from the XBOX A-B-X-Y to the Nintendo B-A-Y-X and back than going from either to the PS symbols.
 
I don't prefer any but the a b x y (edit i mean those alphabets in any order) is seen as standard in my mind. I don't get confused with button placing either, i never thought about it even when i had a xbox and one of nintendo's systems. The changes for all just seem natural when swapping to a different system.
 
I'm used to everything now, but PS symbols took a LONG time to get used to. I started gaming "for real" with the N64, and Nintendo flipping between their layouts every generation threw me off a bit. SNES, Wii, and Wii U have a consistent format of the buttons, but since I started with the N64, I was used to A being below B and being the main action button so to speak. With the Gamecube they flipped A and B to be like it was with the SNES, but A was larger so it still felt like the main button (the lower most button). X and Y were on the right side with Y on top which is flipped from SNES..and then with the Wii, they went back to the SNES days with X on top (and to the left of A/B instead of to the right like with GCN). Definitely threw me off at first, but I'm used to it now for the most part. X and Y still throw me off sometimes. I'm so used to Y being on top from Gamecube, Xbox, and Xbox 360.
 
I may be alone on this but the symbols feel like a weird 90s left over. Saying circle, triangle instead of just A or B etc. also seems way unwieldy to me.

I can understand why they went with it and now that it's iconic keep going with it but it still feels weird.
 
Parappa the Rapper taught me the PS buttons and became second nature.
The ABXY placement confuses me sometimes because Sega (Dreamcast) - MS (x360 controller for PC) and Nintendo (3DS and Wii(U)) don't use the same.


in parenthesis is the console I still power on
 
I'm more of a Nintendo guy but the symbols are better, no confusion with them, unlike ABXY which are switched between Nintendo and Microsoft.
 
It's fine once you get the base controls down, but what about fighting games, sports sims, or other games with more dynamic inputs? On a Nintendo or MS controller, all I have to do is memorize the input and I'm good. With a DualShock, I have to memorize the input AND translate the symbol to a particular button. In theory, you'd have to do the same with A/B/X/Y, but at least for me and others I know, that process is automatic with letters/numbers, but noticeably slower with abstract symbols.

What is different about "memorize the input and i'm good" if it's letters or symbols?
 
I instantly prefered triangle, circle, X and square from the moment I started using a PS1.

AB(C) XY(Z) never really made sense to me, and just started to get ridiculous once Nintendo went crazy with the C buttons/stick and ZL and ZR nonsense. Same with L1/2/3 and R1/2/3, so much better than the competition, even if I do appreciate the terms bumpers and triggers to tell the upper and lower shoulder buttons apart.

Worst of all though, is the way Nintendo and Xbox use the same face buttons, but in different places. That always confuses the shit out of me when I'm switching between their consoles.
 
PS buttons for me. Symbols are easier to remember, and they look very nice.

I had no trouble remembering them by heart real quick a couple of hours after buying my first PS console.
 
Coming from PC and Xbox 360 the ABXY is my go to, took a while to get used to PS square when I got a PS4, I really liked the DS4, and use it on PC even if I get the prompts on screen for ABXY the button placement is ingrained, so no need to look at controller.

Playing Madden on PS4 for the first few weeks sucked cause I would see a receiver with the PS "x" and hit the ABXY "x". It was really frustrating.
 
it's probably that i haven't played enough on any playstation console, but everytime i do the buttons confuse the crap out of me, because
1) i'm not clear as to how to call them (which sounds a bit silly but it adds confusion) and
2) there's no natural order to those symbols unlike the pretty clear concept of the alphabet :D.. like with ABXY i just need to know that A is in the bottom left or bottom right position and everything else makes sense somehow, but since my brain doesn't have any concept of how to put the PS symbols in order, i always have to look down onto the controller.

obviously i could get used to it eventually, i just never got as to why they went with those in the first place, since in my mind it just adds confusion..
 
As long as its four face buttons in the standard layout and I'm going to instinctively press the correct button. Who even looks anymore?
 
I love Playstation. It's my console of choice. I think the DS4 is the most comfortable controller out there. That said, I hate the button symbols, specifically circle and square. They're too damn hard to tell apart! Especially in a game where split second decisions need to be made all the time! Like in Madden, when I see a receiver wide open just as I'm being sacked and hit circ-nope, that was actually square. Circle throws it right to the defender.

What genius thought it would be a great idea to make one button pink and another one red? Argh


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You can't tell me those two buttons couldn't be easily confused, especially when they're being displayed at a really small size like they usually are in sports games.
 
What is different about "memorize the input and i'm good" if it's letters or symbols?

It's a brain thing. Some are better with shapes than letters or numbers, some are better with numbers or letters than shapes, while others are good with both. Many in this thread are showing signs of that by just saying "____ never made sense to me"

EDIT: One example comes from me. I'm not that great with shapes, but if something maintains the same button mapping layout it's easier to transition and get used to it. I'm probably quicker on the draw with L1, L2, R1, R2 buttons than anything because I can quickly map 1 and 2 to where they belong.
 
I dont really prefer one over the other....but switching playing time between consoles can cause problems.

There isn't really any benefit it's their signifier.
I don't really have a problem with the PS buttons I get more confused with XBOX and Nintendo ones since they use the same letters for the face buttons but in swapped positions especially with QTEs.

Like this..

I even have problems going from PS3 to 360 at times.

I love Playstation. It's my console of choice. I think the DS4 is the most comfortable controller out there. That said, I hate the button symbols, specifically circle and square. They're too damn hard to tell apart! Especially in a game where split second decisions need to be made all the time! Like in Madden, when I see a receiver wide open just as I'm being sacked and hit circ-nope, that was actually square. Circle throws it right to the defender.

What genius thought it would be a great idea to make one button pink and another one red? Argh


3462738919_19623aa532.jpg


You can't tell me those two buttons couldn't be easily confused, especially when they're being displayed at a really small size like they usually are in sports games.

This too. I think in some games its hard to tell which button is which. And is irritating for QTE if it isnt colored or shaped good, correctly . And I have done that in Madden too. I have to make sure I see a preview of the play, routes ran, study it enough...and still mess up sometimes...lol.
 
I have never grown completely used to it. I still have to look down at the controller at times, or at the very least, *think* about it for brief moment when shown a prompt on occasion.

The Xbox layout bothers me, too. I grew up playing SNES and that shit is so ingrained in me that the Xbox layout using the same labelling, but switching which is which fucks me up sometimes as well.

I think this is more a symptom of how impactful learning things at a young age can be on somebody later on. I've probably played more on PS and Xbox controllers than I did the SNES controller altogether, but it still messes up once in a while.
 
I prefer the DS4. I couldn't care less what the symbols, letters, etc are. I use it as a PC controller primarily which gives me a lot of xbox controller prompts but the positions for either are burned in to my skull.
 
The only thing that confuses me is going from Nintendo to Xbox or vice versa. I sometimes mix up the X and Y lol.

Fuck it.

Go green check mark, red X, blue box and yellow triangle.
 
Yes.

Even to this day even though I use my xbox360 controller (its been almost 2 years now) - I've been thinking the PS button setup and it messes me up sometimes..not as bad as it was at first lol.
 
What genius thought it would be a great idea to make one button pink and another one red? Argh


3462738919_19623aa532.jpg


You can't tell me those two buttons couldn't be easily confused, especially when they're being displayed at a really small size like they usually are in sports games.

The symbols make them easy to tell apart, though. I'm colourblind and couldn't really tell you what colour each symbol is unless I stare at it for a while.

Same way I kind of like the transforming dpad version of the 360 controller, as making all the buttons grey is almost an improvement for me over having them different colours.
 
Yes.

It's easier for me to see a button prompt on screen and know what to press, as opposed to controllers with numbers or letters because sometimes different companies change up which letters/numbers go where, and even with the (nearly) standardized layout scheme it's still confusing to use letters.
 
The symbols make them easy to tell apart, though. I'm colourblind and couldn't really tell you what colour each symbol is unless I stare at it for a while.

Same way I kind of like the transforming dpad version of the 360 controller, as making all the buttons grey is almost an improvement for me over having them different colours.

When made into small icons on a TV screen, circle and square look similar enough that they can be confused, especially when their colors are also similar (pink vs red). I've confused the two countless times in split-second decisions.
 
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