Well that’s us told. For decades, many PlayStation gamers have referred to the X button on the system’s classic controller by its alphabetical representation.
It’s a phonetic ‘ex’ right? Wrong. PlayStation UK has set the world straight by revealing the X isn’t an ‘x’; it’s a Cross. Yes, straight from the horse’s mouth, the button line-up was Christened as follows: Triangle, Circle, Cross and Square.
As Sony points out, “if Cross is called X (it’s not), then what are you calling Circle?” And for that matter, if it’s not Square then aren’t some people going around calling it box?
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The company was responding to Twitter users who’d been debating the correct name for the southernmost button on the controller.
Triangle
Circle
Cross
SquareIf Cross is called X (it's not), then what are you calling Circle?? https://t.co/dvQ19duemW
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) September 5, 2019
One user in particular, @Arbiterwarpig, wrote: “Anyone who says cross is a cop,” and was retweeted almost 16,000 times for his troubles. That’s where PlayStation UK stepped in to set the record straight.
The classic button design on PlayStation controllers has remained the same from the original console, right the way through to the current DualShock 4 model. In fact, the four shapes have become completely synonymous with the PlayStation brand over the years, so we’re grateful to Sony for finally correcting us.
The revelation has in fact led to further debate with some gamers contesting that PlayStation Cross is 45-degrees off from the commonly-perceived shape. Others then pointed out that a railway crossing road sign is depicted in the shape of an X.
Others contested that it’s actually a multiplication symbol, while an image of the innards of an early PlayStation console actually has it labelled as a ‘fork’ rather than an X or a Cross. One particular smart-ass perhaps won the day with the following:
I, too, am fan of the Cross-Men
— Tristanix (@Tristafeyr) September 5, 2019
Either way, don’t get cross with us, Sony has spoken and that’s the bottom line.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.