The PS5 hands-on impressions continue to yield some interesting stories, and one major bit of news emerging from the sessions has been the fact that PlayStation 5 confirm button mapping will be globally standardized - and Japanese players will primarily be the ones who need to adjust to the decision. PS5 size impressions have stolen the headlines somewhat thanks to several Japanese outlets claiming the console is quiet and cool thanks to its frame, but there has been a slew of information from the demos that fans have hungrily been waiting for.
One thing consumers did not need to wait for is the PS5 release date and price, which made headlines last month for arriving in the same November window as Xbox Series X/S and matching the standard console's pricing, which came as a surprise to some analysts. Originally, rumors suggested PS5 price would be a significant amount higher than Xbox, but that never came to fruition by the time an official announcement was made, perhaps in part due to the fact Xbox announced its pricing model first. Other highlights from the build-up to next-gen launches have included PS5 controller innovations and Xbox's purchase of Bethesda.
One piece of information emerging from PS5 controller discussions during the hands-on period has been about button-mapping, and how PlayStation 5 will signal the end of global confusion over the proper confirm button. According to Japanese outlet Famitsu, the PS5 buttons will herald a global default for the first time ever, with the "X" button becoming the proper choice for a confirm choice.
It may not seem like a huge decision when it comes to the overall PS5 controller layout and design, but it's a noteable one, especially for Japan, the region that will be most affected by this change. In Japan, "O" essentially means "correct" when used as a symbol - which makes it the obvious choice for a confirm button on the DualSense. That's going to change, however, and it remains to be seen just how minor or major this decision will be for players who have become used to "O" meaning confirm on a PlayStation controller for years now.
There was always going to be at least one region more affected by the decision to create a PS5 button default for confirm, but the implementation of standardized button-mapping is a smart one from Sony. Creating a default across all regions is useful to both players and developers, and comes at, hopefully, a minor cost to players who are more comfortable with "O" as the PS5 controller button assigned to confirm options.
PlayStation 5 releases on November 12, 2020.
Source: Famitsu