The symbols were meant to act like a tiny visual language
When Sony’s first PlayStation was being designed, controller buttons did not have to be labeled with letters. Designer Teiyu Goto chose four shapes because he wanted each button to suggest an idea, rather than simply serve as an arbitrary mark.
The triangle could suggest direction or a point of view; the square could suggest a sheet of paper, such as a map or menu. The circle and cross supplied a simple contrast: in Japan, a circle commonly marks “yes” or “correct,” while a cross can mark “no” or “wrong.” The button colors helped distinguish the shapes at a glance.
A useful idea, not a universal control code
These associations gave the buttons a memorable identity, but they did not dictate exactly what every game should make them do. Developers assigned actions to buttons, and those choices could vary between games and regions. In particular, the circle’s familiar association with “yes” did not guarantee that it would confirm a choice everywhere; players often had to learn a game’s controls.
That distinction explains why the design could feel both intuitive and unfamiliar. The shapes offered visual cues without depending on reading a particular alphabet, but their meanings were suggestions, not a complete instruction manual. The controller’s symbols were designed to carry ideas—not to make every button’s function self-evident.
