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I saw the below controller on OLX, the guy selling it claims it's an original. My main worries are sixaxis and decent analog sticks.

To be honest, there isn't really anything throwing me off other then the fact that it says it has sixaxis even though the model says otherwise.The thing about PS3 controllers is that fake ones are almost identical. The differences are some really small details, like if the plastic looks cheap or something, which is stuff I am not familiar with either.

Is there anything in the photographs provided by the seller to suggest that this controller is not a genuine Sony product? What should I look for to identify a fake controller?

Original Box - Front and Baxk Info under Controller Controller Box Back Book thing

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    I wasn't even aware there was an A1 model of the Dualshock 3. I bought a CECHZC2U one when I first got a PS3 (I bought a used fat PS3 which came with a Sixaxis only) and my PSTV came with a CECHZC2U A2.
    – Powerlord
    Jul 2, 2018 at 23:25
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    I once bought a ps3 controller that looked just like the one you picture and the only reason I ever even noticed that it was a fake was when I was using it with my android and when it connected, the app always identified it as such. Worked just fine though, so I didn't really care. Here's the funny thing though; I bought the controller @ Walmart.
    – Ron Kyle
    Jul 4, 2018 at 0:10

3 Answers 3

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I believe that the pictured controller is fake. There is a forum post on the PS community forums about this with a very long and detailed list of differences.

From the pictures you have posted the rear section with the screw, label and reset button are what make me suspect that this controller is not genuine.

The picture below is from the link above and is of a fake: Fake controller - back

This looks very similar to the one in your question, its hard to tell in you photo but one way to be certain is that there is no reset button, only a hole in the case.

Here is a picture of a real controller for comparison:

Real controller - back

The second thing that makes me suspect that it is a fake is the manual, below is a picture of the fake manual on the right and real manual on the left:

Left - Real Manual | Right - Fake Manual

There are many other subtle differences to look out for that are not clear from your photographs, my advice is don't buy if you have any doubts.

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  • Thank you, your answer was informative to say the least. Jul 3, 2018 at 3:52
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    Could you call out specifically what's off about the manual in that picture you shared? it's not immediately obvious to me (other than a slight yellowing which could be down to the age of the paper manual vs a newer one). Are they different material? is there a particular line of the manual that's off, or a spelling mistake or something?
    – Robotnik
    Jul 3, 2018 at 4:25
  • My original PlayStation 3 controller, the one that came with my PlayStation 3 has a reset hole with no button.
    – user86571
    Jul 3, 2018 at 6:11
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    It looks like the original PS3 manual is machine folded. They fit to a very specific size and the folds are very defined. The fake instruction seems to be a photocopy piece of paper folded in half. You can not see any of the fold crease.
    – Nelson
    Jul 3, 2018 at 9:39
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Turns out it was a fake. I have returned the controller.

Analog sticks were smaller and had only 8 directions.There was also no reset button as you predicted.

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  • Would you be able to include photos of the controller showcasing the specific parts that let you know it was fake? This could be very useful for others looking to tell the difference between legit and counterfeit controllers in the future.
    – Malco
    Jul 3, 2018 at 16:08
  • Apologies, I wasn't given enough time to take pictures. Jul 3, 2018 at 16:56
  • Ahh sorry misunderstood, you ended up returning it? In your answer you have retrieved.
    – Malco
    Jul 3, 2018 at 21:01
  • Yes, that's what I meant, sorry. Jul 3, 2018 at 22:02
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I'm looking for original controllers as well and I can tell the ones in these pictures are fake. Today I disassembled one I know being genuine and one I bought with the same packaging as the picture above. The genuine one comes with a Toshiba chipset and a good weight battery. The second is indeed a cheap counterfeit with one chipset covered with resin, and a battery half the weight of the original one. Also worth noting that R2 and L2 on the fake controller are just buttons, not analog. Both shells are different and not exchangeable. Re-assembling the genuine controller was easy and straight forward while reassembling the fake one proved itself to be a nightmare.

It becomes obvious while playing with the fake one, that the left analog, in fact, reacts almost as bad as an 8 ways joystick, making characters take stiff angles while running in a circle.

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  • Welcome to Stack Exchange! This is not an answer, and will be deleted. However, if you have another question, ask it after reading what's on-topic here. Aug 4, 2019 at 5:14

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