The PlayStation 2 and 3's controllers resemble Sony's first iteration, but they hold a feature you cannot see. In fact, most people might have owned both consoles without realizing something special about them. Unlike the PS1, PS4, and PS5, these two consoles featured pressure sensitive face buttons.
It might be difficult to recall which games used them, but several legendary titles included them in certain mechanics. As cool of a feature this is, it makes porting some of these quite a challenge, forcing subtle changes to the control scheme. Given the rarity of use, it makes sense why the feature was ultimately stripped out.
10 The Bouncer
This Square fighter early in the PS2's life sported gorgeous graphics and unique gameplay, but it failed to make a splash the way the company's other franchises did. The story mode is super short, but begs for replays with multiple cutscenes based on who you play as. The pressure sensitive buttons are used to enact either strong or weak attacks using one button. The Bouncer also used rag doll physics long before it was an industry standard.
9 Grand Theft Auto
The three PS2 Grand Theft Auto titles revolutionized the industry and are often considered the best games of the generation. The open-world environments of Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas were unlike anything players had ever experienced before. The pressure sensitive buttons are used when driving. Press lightly to slowly cruise down the street, and keep it pressed hard to accelerate to the maximum speed.
8 MLB The Show
One rarely think of sports games as being exclusive to any one console, but for over a decade the MLB games were only available on Sony's consoles. This changes in 2021 with MLB The Show 21, which will also make its way to Xbox platforms
The older titles in the franchise utilized pressure sensitivity for the throws and swings. Obviously, the harder you press, the more aggressive you throw or swing. The games do not suffer from not having this feature in the modern editions.
7 Mad Maestro!
The PS2 is chock full of rhythm games, from Frequency to Guitar Hero. Among the crowded genre is a cutesy game called Mad Maestro!, where players conduct an orchestra. Correctly timing button presses is a huge part of the gameplay, but the pressure sensitive buttons add another layer. Each prompt has three levels of pressure and you have to hit the button with the correct amount of force to succeed.
6 Wipeout HD
Wipeout has been a part of the PlayStation almost since the beginning, coming out as a launch title in Europe for the original PlayStation. The futuristic racer resembles F-Zero and other high-speed titles. Like many racing games, Wipeout HD uses the pressure sensitive buttons to control acceleration. Considering you would almost only ever want to go fast, most players would prefer not to keep the accelerate button constantly pressed down to the maximum.
5 Okami
Hideki Kamiya is one of the most celebrated game designers of the past 25 years, having worked on legendary titles like Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, and of course, Okami. The latter game is a beautiful action/adventure title recalling classic games like The Legend of Zelda, only with a unique art style and drawing mechanic. On the original PS2 release, the pressure determines the thickness of the line you draw. It is not an integral mechanic, since future re-releases work fine without it.
4 Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time
On the surface, the Star Ocean games look like any other RPG, something the PS2 was not exactly thirsting for. However, it does a few things to help it stand out from the pack, including more real time elements. One item in the game, the Dragon Bone Flute, utilizes the pressure sensitive buttons. Playing certain melodies on them depends on how hard or light you press the buttons. The PS4 re-release utilizes the shoulder buttons to help differentiate the melodies.
3 Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo always does its best to push a PlayStation console's technology to its limits and use all of its unique features. With this in mind, it makes sense for the PS2 iterations to utilize pressure sensitive buttons. This does not mean it was a great idea, however. Like other racing games, constantly holding down the button as hard as possible puts a lot of stress on your thumb.
2 Silent Hill
Silent Hill is one of the most legendary horror franchises of all time. The first three games manage to stand the test of time with their psychological scares that haunt you long after the credits roll.
Melee attacks are dictated by the pressure sensitivity in Silent Hill 2 and 3. This feature is not the reason why it is best to play these games on the original hardware, however. The PS3 and Xbox 360 HD re-release is a complete failure, bogged down by technical issues.
1 Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Liberty was way ahead of its time upon its 2001 release in both terms of gameplay and story. Pressure sensitivity was used for the aiming and shooting mechanics. Press the fire button lightly to hold up the gun without firing. Let go lightly to put down the weapon without shooting. The mechanic works slightly differently sometimes depending on the weapon equipped. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and the fourth game on the PS3 utilize a similar feature. The feature works well, but it is not missed in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.