The X on the PlayStation DualShock has always been called “cross” and somehow, in the year 2019, apparently thousands of people are only just discovering the fact. The DualShock controller has been around since the inception of the PlayStation family of consoles, although it has received various upgrades and iterations with each subsequent generation.
None of those upgrades has ever replaced the iconic four button design of the DualShock, which eschews the common lettering that other companies choose to employ for controller buttons and instead goes with symbols that transcend language (or so we thought). The four buttons have remained the same and have been referred to in manuals as the same for the entire history of the console - Triangle, Circle, Square, and Cross. It doesn’t seem like that will change with the PlayStation 5. However, the Cross button is causing some confusion recently in social media discussion, as a number of people have expressed their shock at the realization it isn’t referred to as “X.”
The official PlayStation UK Twitter account broadcasted the “news” earlier today, and Sony fans have been up in arms about it ever since. According to the Twitter message, which is a response to a user who suggests calling the button Cross makes them a “cop,” the official PlayStation designation for the buttons remains the same it has always been. The response also amusingly asks what the user proposes people refer to the Circle button as if Cross is “X,” presumably suggesting that, by their own logic, the Circle should instead be “O.”
Seriously, the controller’s layout is four shapes printed on push-sensitive mechanics to designate buttons. Apparently, however, this has been very difficult for some people to come to terms with, having previously lived a life believing this was not the case:
At least that one has the PlayStation UK Twitter account’s approval, though, which “X” definitely does not appear to. For those who need more proof, the Wikipedia page for the DualShock controller has labels for each button of each generation of controller, and every single one refers to the bottom one as Cross. Many gamers who have read a PlayStation game manual will no doubt be familiar with the Cross designation as well, as that’s what instructions typically refer to the button by.
Is this a Berenstain Bears moment? No. The DualShock has always had a Cross button, just like Mario has always been a Nintendo character and the Earth has always revolved around the sun. While it’s an amusing anecdote in the annals of gaming history, it’s also an important lesson for any fan of the PlayStation. The DualShock has four iconic buttons, and none of them are “X.”
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Source: PlayStationUK/Twitter, Wikipedia
