Story behind PlayStation’s decision to go with symbols over ABXY buttons on its controllers

Walk into any video game store and you will see game controllers sporting the familiar A, B, X, and Y face buttons. These became the standard, with Nintendo laying the groundwork in the 1980s and Microsoft later adopting the format for the Xbox line. The use of these letters felt natural; after all, everyone talks about getting from point A to point B, or treating X as the unknown. But when Sony entered the home gaming market with the PlayStation, they took an entirely different turn that puzzled many at first.

Do these symbols have meaning?

The decision to go with symbols – triangle, circle, cross, and square was not just about looking different. It traced back to the original PlayStation designer, Taiyo Goto. Facing little restriction on creativity at the time, Goto wanted to offer players instantly recognisable buttons that could be remembered easily. In a rare interview, he explained that his choices were deliberate: each shape would represent a specific idea. The triangle symbolises viewpoint and direction, tying into themes of perspective within games. Square stands in for a sheet of paper, meant to hint at a menu or document. The circle and cross were chosen to represent decision-making – yes and no, respectively.

Even the button colours had significance, with green for triangle, pink for square, red for circle, and blue for the cross. Goto had to defend these choices, as even Sony’s management felt uncertain about breaking from industry conventions. What saved the design was support from Sony’s then-president, Norio Ohga, who appreciated both the symbolic approach and the ergonomic handles, which reminded him of piloting a plane, SlashGear reported. In tense meetings, Ohga’s confidence in the design ensured that PlayStation would go its own way, even if it meant facing resistance behind closed doors.

Decades later, those four shapes remain at the heart of PlayStation’s identity. While Nintendo and Microsoft continued with their lettered layouts, the PlayStation controller became one of the most instantly recognisable designs in gaming. Goto viewed the choice as a rare stroke of luck – one that set the brand apart from day one. Had the decision gone differently, gamers today might be pressing A or B rather than making a circle or cross.