IGN PS3 may be impressed with the PS3’s appearance and performance, but that doesn’t mean they like everything about the console. This week, in between 1) bragging about how they actually got to touch a real live PS3 and 2) putting the wireless controller through the ultimate stress test, they actually sat down and played some games on the machine.

While I’ve never found the PS2’s Dual-Shock controller particularly comfortable, IGN had even harsher words for the newly-renamed SIXAXIS. Among their complaints - light weight, plasticky feel, and hard-to-use shoulder buttons. Could it be because, say, the controller was quickly and shoddily designed to mimic some of the Wii’s functionality?? Only Sony execs will ever know… Anyways, see IGN’s full thoughts after the jump.

Straight from IGN’s article:

Instead of duplicating that, we’ll take a look at one last thing - possibly the most controversial aspect of the PS3: the controller. Prepare to be shocked though: we don’t really like it all that much. True enough, you can go along with Phil Harrison’s proclamation that it’s already the industry-standard controller amongst umpteen-million gamers around the globe, but, arguably, that doesn’t make it the best. Personally, we can’t help but feel that the SIXAXIS (as it’s now known) has been sadly neglected when viewed alongside the rest of the PS3. Compared to Microsoft’s uber-comfortable Xbox 360 pad, the SIXAXIS feels cheap, plasticky, uncomfortable and disconcertingly light - almost as if it’s going to fly out of your hands during those more extreme gaming moments.

More worrying still, the newly-designed lower L and R shoulder triggers feel more like they belong on an early controller prototype than the near-final model. Replicating the 360 pad, rather than being simple shoulder-mounted buttons, the triggers are now hinged horizontally along the controller, with pressure forcing them inward along the bottom - like triggers then, really. Trouble is, they’re placed almost unnaturally low meaning we found ourselves operating them by jamming our fingers in between the hinges to apply pressure, rather than using the buttons themselves. What’s more, the triggers are convex, with no grooves to keep your fingers in place - an issue further compounded by their smooth finish, offering no resistance against your finger tips. Invariably we found our digits slipping off with the triggers snapping back to their default position. Bah. Of course, the PS2’s Dual Shock pad wasn’t without its faults either but we still learned to live with it. It’s just a shame that Sony hasn’t used its resources to bring its controller up to next-gen standards along with its cutting-edge hardware.

Wow - I recognize that for $600 you’re already getting a Blu-Ray player and Hi-Def gaming, but shouldn’t Sony have spent at least a LITTLE bit of time making their controller comfortable and, say, expensive-feeling?