I’ve had a lot of time to spend with my DualShock 3 controllers. I imported one from Japan a little while back and then picked up a US copy this past weekend. I have to say, it’s well worth the purchase.

The DS3 is much sturdier controller than the SIXAXIS. It has both the motion controls from the original controller plus rumble, so you get the best of both worlds. The new DualShock is heavier, which is definitely needed. One of the biggest complaints about the SIXAXIS was that it’s too light, and I agree. The DualShock 3 resolves this with the weights needed to make the controller rumble.

The battery life is not affected by the added vibration, which is a huge plus. I’m not sure if Sony put a bigger battery in there or what, but I’ve found similar battery life between using my DualShock 3 and my SIXAXIS controllers.

If you own a PS3, I would definitely recommend picking one of these up. It’s always good to have another controller around. Now I just need to find something to do with my old SIXAXIS controllers…