The PS3 “Boomerang” was a concept controller shown during the 2005 PlayStation 3 reveal period. It was never the controller Sony released. Sony replaced it with a conventional PlayStation-shaped controller that added six-axis motion sensing and dropped vibration. Sony later restored vibration with the DualShock 3 in 2007. Sony’s own announcements and later statements document this sequence. They do not show that public criticism alone caused the change, and they do not establish whether any physical Boomerang prototype survives.
What the Boomerang was
The Boomerang was a curved, elongated controller design that appeared in the public PS3 reveal material in 2005. Sony announced on May 16, 2005 that PS3 prototypes would be shown at E3 in Los Angeles from May 18 to 20. The Boomerang belongs to that reveal period. It was a design exploration that people saw and discussed, not a product that reached stores.
What Sony said about it afterward
Phil Harrison, then Sony Computer Entertainment’s executive vice president, later addressed the design in an interview. The reported remark was:
“The boomerang, as you call it, was very clearly designed as a design concept, and was never intended to be the final controller, despite what everybody said about it.”
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Two cautions apply. This wording comes from a secondary reproduction of the interview, not from an official Sony press release, so attribute it to Harrison and to that interview report. The quote also confirms only Sony’s position on intent. It does not describe how many mockups were built or how the design evolved internally.
What replaced it
On May 8, 2006, ahead of E3 that year, Sony announced the controller that would ship with the PS3. It used a familiar PlayStation shape and added six-axis motion sensing. PlayStation’s retrospective identifies this controller as the SIXAXIS.
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Sony removed vibration from this controller. Its stated reason was technical: vibration interfered with the information the motion sensor detected. That explanation covers rumble only. It says nothing about why the Boomerang’s shape was dropped, and Sony did not connect the two decisions in the material available.
When vibration returned
Sony announced the DualShock 3 on September 20, 2007. It combined vibration feedback with the six-axis motion sensing introduced on the SIXAXIS. In practice, the PS3’s controller story runs from a distinctive 2005 concept, through a motion-only controller in 2006, to a controller that offered both features in 2007.
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Comparing the three designs
| Attribute | Boomerang concept | SIXAXIS (announced May 8, 2006) | DualShock 3 (announced September 20, 2007) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Concept shown during the 2005 reveal period; described by Harrison as never intended to be final | Released controller announced ahead of E3 2006 | Released controller announced in 2007 |
| Shape | Distinctive curved concept shape | Familiar PlayStation form | Not stated in the Sony announcement material reviewed |
| Motion input | Not stated | Six-axis motion sensing | Six-axis motion sensing retained |
| Vibration | Not stated | Omitted; Sony cited interference with motion sensor data | Vibration feedback included |
The Boomerang’s entries are limited because it was never specified as a finished device. Treat the table as a comparison of stated design positions, not of tested hardware.
Why the change is hard to pin down
Many accounts say the Boomerang was dropped because players mocked it. Sony’s material does not establish that. The available statements describe the design as a concept and cite a technical reason for the vibration decision. Neither rules out criticism playing a role, but neither confirms it either. Any article that says backlash alone killed the design is going beyond the evidence.
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Several details also remain unknown from the available material:
- How many Boomerang mockups or prototypes were built.
- Whether any physical example survives, and who holds it if one does.
- Whether a Sony internal decision memo or design record explains the shift in more detail.
Can you buy an original Boomerang?
No source reviewed establishes that an authentic Boomerang prototype is available for purchase, so do not treat any listing as verified without independent proof of authenticity. The controllers that followed are different products. A SIXAXIS or DualShock 3 may be relevant if you want to compare the motion-only and vibration-equipped designs, but check the model name, condition, and compatibility with the console you own before buying.
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For further reading, Sony’s own announcements and PlayStation’s retrospective on its controller history are the most direct primary sources for the dates and design statements above.
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