What is a console without a great controller? The thing that personally connects the gamer to the game itself, the controller is one of the most important aspects to get right for your upcoming console release. The controller will be what players will be holding and interacting with for the entire experience, what they will be critiquing when they die for the thousandth time in Dark Souls, and what they will be grieving when their friends get their sticky hands all over them.

While Nintendo and Microsoft have changed up their controllers nearly entirely from the ground up for each release, Sony’s PlayStation has stuck to their guns for years. With a constant frame of design since the 90’s, the individual praises and critiques stick out more clearly with each iteration. The old saying says to not fix what isn’t broken, and that mantra rings true for PlayStation.

9 (Dis)Honorable Mention: The PlayStation 3 Concept Controller

While never actually releasing or even being totally functional, this unreleased design for the PlayStation 3 was revealed at E3 and was immediately joked on for its bizarre boomerang shape and its immense change-up from its predecessors. Sony clearly heard the outcry of the fans to keep true to the past designs, and they ultimately succumbed to the request. While it was a bold attempt to completely reinvent the design, the idea was questionable at best and, unlike an actual boomerang, would never end up coming back to a PlayStation console.

8 Honorable Mention: PlayStation Portable

While not being an actual “controller’, the PSP’s control setup felt premium and sturdy for a handheld console. Compared to the Nintendo DS, the PSP felt like it could be dropped down a flight of stairs with no consequence. The PSP had a similar layout of the PlayStation controllers that preceded it, without the analog control sticks (besides the “nub” of a stick on the left side that wasn’t received so well). The PlayStation had a great, and often underrated, lineup of portable consoles, and the PSP controls felt like an actual controller in the hands.

7 Honorable Mention: PlayStation Vita

One of the most tragically underrated portable consoles of all time, the PlayStation Vita was an incredibly comfortable feeling console, and accomplished so much in its short time. Much alike the PSP, the Vita emulated a lot about what the predecessor controllers did so well, but expanded on what a portable console could do, by including two analog sticks that made games like first person shooters and third person adventure games reach their fullest potential on a portable console.

The smooth back (accompanied by a touch pad that was admittedly not super reliable) and the con-caved places for your fingers made for an immensely comfortable piece of hardware.

6 PlayStation One: Dual Analog/DualShock

Grouping the multiple iterations of the first PlayStation controller, this was Sony’s first huge foray into the console market after initially trying to partner with Nintendo. Due to this, the first PlayStation tried to stay faithful to the Super Nintendo era of consoles, by only including a D-pad. The second iterations, known as the Dual Analog/DualShock, included the infamous double analog stick setup with clickable L3/R3 buttons that many future consoles would routinely include. The first PlayStation controller wasn’t the sturdiest controller in the PlayStation’s history, but it built a foundation of greatness to come.

5 PlayStation Move

Initially launching on the PlayStation 3 to combat the popularity of the Nintendo Wii and its motion controls, the PlayStation Move controllers didn’t reach their full potential until the PlayStation VR, where the controllers functioned incredibly well. The first giant departure from the classic formula, the Move controllers featured a tubular design with a glowing bulb at the top, with a trigger in the back and a big “Move” button on the front, surrounded by the classic face buttons. Although better motion controllers are out there, the Move controllers really impress as reliable VR controllers.

4 PlayStation 3: Sixaxis/DualShock 3

At the launch of the PlayStation 3, fans were excited to see that the controller almost perfectly replicated the PlayStation 2 controller (instead of the concerning “boomerang” concept design), except it was wireless and extremely lightweight.

The original Sixaxis controller included full motion control that many games tried to implement at launch, but didn’t include the infamous rumble feature. Later, the DualShock 3 was released and reintroduced the rumble feature, but a lot of players criticized how light the controller was. The weightlessness of the controller made it feel a little cheap, but others praised it for its versatility and relaxed feel.

3 PlayStation 5: DualSense

While not as many have experienced this controller as preferred, the PlayStation 5’s DualSense is an achievement in comfort, innovation, and faithful design. Aside from the typical but time-tested design of the face of the controller, the DualSense includes rumble features that specifically react to in-game actions, buttons that add tension based on in-game action, and an outward speaker and microphone. The stark white design gives the controller a futuristic feel that pairs with the console well, and hopefully in few months, more players can take advantage of this leap in controller technology once the PlayStation 5 shortage is over.

2 PlayStation 4: DualShock 4

For the last generation’s PlayStation 4, players were given the DualShock 4 to play with, and many praises were given. Aside from the weightier and sturdier design, the DualShock 4 included a touch pad on the front, which often acted as a way to bring up an alternate pause menu, but mainly functioned as a way to add touch capabilities to certain parts of games. The controller also included an external speaker that broadcasted certain sounds out of the controller, an outfacing light that reacted to your games, motion controllers carried over from the DualShock 3, and a Share button that allowed players to immediately capture pictures and videos from their games. It was a controller full of features that worked immaculately well.

1 PlayStation 2: DualShock 2

Nothing beats an absolute classic, and the DualShock 2 for the PlayStation 2 is a prime example of that. While not totally different from the original DualShock, the DualShock 2 fundamentally improved the entire controller with its sturdy buttons, shape that fits every kind of hand so well, and an overall simple and reliable button layout. Everyone has fond memories of the PlayStation 2 for good reason, and for as record-breaking as the console is, a big part of its staying power relied in its universally praised controller.

NEXT: 5 Reasons The SNES Controller Is Great (& 5 Reasons It’s Not)