White DualShock 3 already in the US: Photo says yes, Sony says no

by Randy Nelson { May 12th 2009 at 4:30PM }

click to enlarge

We first saw evidence that Sony might be planning to expand the selection of DualShock 3 colors in the US last month, when retailer GameStop listed a silver version of the controller for release on June 24. Now we have a photo, via a tipster, of what's purportedly a US model of the white DualShock 3 already available in Japan -- purchased at a Wal-Mart in Florida. Henry, who sent in the photo, says it was the only one left at the store where he bought it. He also included additional pics showing the rest of the seemingly North American packaging, complete with bilingual English / French adorning the front and back.

Naturally, we got in touch with Sony to ask about this find ... and were told it doesn't exist. Specifically, when we inquired whether this was some sort of "stealth" release, an SCEA hardware PR rep told us, "We have no plans to release a white Dualshock 3." No plans? Did someone not get the memo, or, as our tipster suggests, accidentally ship out something that's not due to be announced until E3?

This is where you come in. If you spot a white, official first-party DualShock 3 in US packaging, send us a photo along with info on when and where you saw it. Better yet, if you find and buy one, send us a photo of the receipt, too. You know how to reach us.

[Thanks, Henry!]

Gallery: White DualShock 3 (US version) -- or is it?

Tags: controller, dualshock-3, dualshock3, hardware, sony, wal-mart

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Bob @ May 12th 2009 4:41PM

Who says he didn't buy it from Playasia.com or something, and use an old Dualshock receipt? All the boxes from them are in english so what makes this any more "proof"?

matsam @ May 12th 2009 4:51PM

I'm pretty sure the Japanese packaging doesn't also have instructions in French.

korwyn @ May 12th 2009 8:03PM

you are right matsam the Japanese package wouldn't have any word in French. However I would think that it's fake though. Just a nicely done photoshop job. Drag that pic into photoshop and zoom in really close at the letter R of the controller. you will also see that the white background on the edge is each letters around there are kinda off a little. I don't know my proof isn't fact, just my opinion.

kvalcom @ May 13th 2009 8:42AM

Nice, so you just assume everyone is a liar. Great world we live in.

Phil @ May 13th 2009 10:40AM

Why is this even an issue? It shows the UPC code on the receipt.

Anyone got a regular DualShock to compare that number too?

Also, that guy is a Walmart employee. He got his 10% discount.

Steven @ May 13th 2009 12:08PM

How is this newsworthy? I have a white dualshock. I imported from Play-Asia BEFORE the black or any DS3 was even out in US. There wasnt even any support for it. The white DS3 I imported was the first DS anybody I knew had even seen. Hell at that time none of the games even used it except PJ Monsters. Maybe 2 years ago would have been a good time for this story.

axe911 @ May 12th 2009 4:53PM

this doesnt suprise anyone, right?

itll be announced at E3.

But, like usual, us Europeans wont get them until next Xmas.

Epic.

xaris_solidus @ May 13th 2009 7:00AM

Actually am a european and i have a white dualshock..bought it about 1 month ago.

Alphathon @ May 12th 2009 7:28PM

Where from? If you imported it or got it off eBay etc it doesn't count.

Night Elve @ May 12th 2009 4:50PM

Me want's a White Dualshock

WhiteSpy @ May 12th 2009 4:56PM

Microcenter has white ones, and silver ones. I saw them myself.

Yingerman @ May 12th 2009 4:59PM

This guy could have just bought a White Duelshock 3 from Japan or something and put it in a used Black Duelshock 3 case. Noone would know the difference.

Fresh Bryce @ May 12th 2009 9:59PM

yea it doesnt say "white controller" anywhere on the box.

WhiteSpy @ May 12th 2009 5:00PM

Forgot to add a link: http://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.phtml?keyword=dualshock+3&category=&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

I actually saw them on the shelf at the St. Davids, PA store a few weeks ago, so they are definitely here.

KSPRAYDAD @ May 12th 2009 8:53PM

Your link shows those are imported by Innex...they are not SCEA sourced.

WhiteSpy @ May 12th 2009 9:18PM

Maybe that explains the $5.00 price difference. Either way, they are there if anyone wants one.

DigitalTwisted @ May 12th 2009 5:03PM

Me thinks Kit Patrick may be in a shit lot of trouble. lol.

exetermako @ May 12th 2009 5:05PM

Wal-Mart's employees are notorious for being 99.999% uneducated about nearly everything they sell in electronics to the point of flat out lying to people so they don't look dumb. I can assume this is just an early shipment (I work at GameStop and we don't have these or the silver in our back rooms yet) that was put out for sale because they are, in fact, dumb as bricks and can't read street date stickers on boxes.

Funny thing is they are always subject to fines for these violations but they are too big for most companies to want to offend the mighty Wal-Mart.

Geoff @ May 12th 2009 5:11PM

407.. hey that's orlando! I'm off to walmart :)

Blkant @ May 12th 2009 5:22PM

Holy crap good find. I'm off as well :D

rbanke @ May 12th 2009 5:57PM

Walmart 1084 is the one on semoran btw. I'll be looking there tomorrow. ;)

PuBeLeSs @ May 13th 2009 8:05PM

i was thinking the same, i have seen tons of comments that were like "oh i just went there yesterday" and other stuff. now i can say I WAS JUST THERE!!! where i was before i read joystiq to day that's kinda cool. hooray to me!

Darrell @ May 14th 2009 1:19AM

fml, and I live about 8 miles from that Wal-mart too! why did I have to find out now?

the Sawyer family @ May 12th 2009 5:12PM

6.500% damn, i wish it was like that in Cali.

William @ May 12th 2009 5:12PM

US packaging? I have -never- seen US packaging of -anything- with French on it. Spanish, yes, but not French. Maybe you meant Canadian packaging? That'd be a hell of a lot more believable.

Notice he's careful not to show the address on the receipt, either? Uh huh.

Joyrex @ May 12th 2009 5:21PM

ORLY?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41n12aWyN7L._SS400_.jpg

Viney @ May 12th 2009 5:26PM

If he went out of his way to hide a non-U.S. address then why didn't he do the same for the phone number? 407 is an Orlando area code.

jimi hendrix @ May 13th 2009 12:59AM

I am all the way with America and PS3.... except why is Sony denying info worse than George bush?!

Joyrex @ May 12th 2009 5:16PM

The white/silver DualShock 3's you see at stores like Microcenter and Fry's are usually Japanese imports; I know for a fact my Fry's carries the white ones, and they are Japanese. What's interesting about the one featured in the story is the fact it's in the new "red" packaging that Sony has started using for all it's peripherals in the US (I haven't seen this packaging used yet in Japan or the EU/ROW). Again, somebody could have shoved a JAP white DS3 into a US package, but why?

Then again, why does anybody do anything nowadays online?

Meteor Freak @ May 12th 2009 5:30PM

the item number is for the black one on the receipt... a white DS3 number would be slightly different. like 071171980502 instead of 071171980500

there you go... Myth busted!

Evildude @ May 12th 2009 5:34PM

Well, the receipt say's it was purchased 05/11/09 so.....It might be real....

In my opinion..Why get just the controller, I want the ceramic white PS3, a real Japanese import...I don't remember the site of the store in California that sell's them..they also have cool pink PSP's ;)

Meteor Freak @ May 12th 2009 5:35PM

side note... I'm sure that manager is pissed about all the calls he is probably getting today... lol

Autobot @ May 12th 2009 5:37PM

Wow, I really can't believe people are making this much of a deal over this. BFD, just get some white acrillic (Spelled right?) paint and tape. Problem solved.

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ May 12th 2009 5:37PM

hmmm E3 is only so far away...time will tell....

dx2069 @ May 15th 2009 10:24PM

i bet were gonna see a white ps3 and a silver one at E3

Jim. @ May 12th 2009 5:54PM

The only other thing that bugs me about this is that the dude got an employee discount on it. So he or someone he knows works at Walmart, which makes this seem even fishier, and come on, dude bought it with exact change?? Something tells me he bought a white one from Japan, put it in the black packaging and has now Punk'd the video game media.

Jim. @ May 12th 2009 5:56PM

Also I meant to say, even the receipt could have been faked. He paid "cash" and then voided out the transaction.

dyt1983 @ May 12th 2009 10:40PM

When you buy something with a credit card (and get the authorization code shown near the bottom of the receipt) you usually don't get any change.

Anthony @ May 12th 2009 6:06PM

i have a white dualshock 3.......i got it from orlando florida on the way back from seaworld!! last year!!! this is late

ecco6t9 @ May 12th 2009 6:07PM

I'm more pissed at the fact that tax is a whole 2.25¢ cheaper there...

boon_dock_saint @ May 13th 2009 7:36PM

you can already get the white and silver from amazon i ordered a white one from there it is japanese version only difference is the sticker on the back

Chenchi @ May 13th 2009 10:14AM

Taking an existing product and putting it out again in another color is a fools purchase. Least wise when its electronics and they both have the same function. Of course there are exceptions but in this instance. I would only purchase that should I need another controller.