Sixaxis

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 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. 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, meaning that it can written the same way forwards and backwards.

At the time of the PlayStation 3's development, the DualShock 3, which like the DualShock and DualShock 2 controllers, would have incorporated haptic technology – also known as force feedback, was originally slated to be released alongside the console in time for its intended 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 Sixaxis was succeeded by the vibration-capable DualShock 3 in late 2007 and early 2008. The Sixaxis and the DualShock 3 controller can also be used with PSP Go and the PlayStation TV via Bluetooth after registering the controller on a PlayStation 3 console.