How do the buttons being switched on Japanese PlayStations work?

[Hazy992]

I was thinking of importing a Vita from Japan as I really want a white one (and it doesn't cost any more even with import duties), but I've heard that the buttons are reversed in Japan, something like O is accept and X is cancel.

I'm wondering exactly how this works, as I've heard conflicting reports on the internet when it comes to games bought in the West, some saying it's up to the game whether it's swapped, others saying it's up to the hardware and others still saying it depends. I've even heard that in some games the button you actually need to press doesn't correspond to what's on screen.

I'm really confused here, and I don't really want to buy a console where conventions I've gotten used to over the past 15 years are suddenly reversed. Switching between the Vita and my PS3 and PS4 would just get frustrating.

Any advice? Has anyone else imported a PlayStation from Japan before? What was your experience with it?

 

[aozgolo]

In Japan, O means positive, or "good, yes, go, etc." where X means negative or "bad, no, cancel, etc." so that's where they got the design for their controller in the first place. It's why Final Fantasy games for the PS1 had actions mapped to the O button and cancel or back commands mapped to X.

I've never messed with a Playstation from Japan, but general concensus is they are switched but not sure if this is at a hardware, firmware, or software level. If it's the first two then yeah your games will be switched, if it's software then all western titles will play as intended. I can't see why they would necessarily invert the function of these two buttons when it's simply a matter of which one you use.

I wouldn't obsess over it either way, it's a rather quickly learned response, it'd be no different than say learning the difference between two driving games, one that uses a shoulder button for acceleration versus another that uses a face button like X.

 

[TehCookie]

Why do you want a Japanese one? They're region free so you can get a western one and still buy Japanese games to play.

As for the buttons being switched, I do know in game it depends on the programmed control scheme. Western games use X for accept, while Japanese use O regardless of the system. At least it was that way for the imported games I've played. I believe the system itself is firmware level but I can't guarantee it.

I never found it hard to switch, but I also have a DS and the right button is accept there as well.

 

[Stu35]

Meh, I've played plenty of Japanese developed games where "O" was action and "X" cancel. Yes when you switch from one to the other there's the occasional 'doh' moment, but you get used to it.

I think Metal Gear Solid (the original one), and Final Fantasy 7 were the main ones for this. If memory serves.

 

[Something Amyss]

In Japan, O means positive, or "good, yes, go, etc." where X means negative or "bad, no, cancel, etc."

Contextually, it does in the West, too. I I guess it's ticking a box? But an X is usually a bad thing. And I can't particularly think of a context in which O is bad. Unless maybe you count the zero on a power button/switch/supply.

I wouldn't obsess over it either way, it's a rather quickly learned response, it'd be no different than say learning the difference between two driving games, one that uses a shoulder button for acceleration versus another that uses a face button like X.

I don't know, my friends are still screwed up by the difference between Saints Row and GTA V. Plus, one of the easiest ways to throw someone off in a NES game was to make jump the B button.

 

[Hazy992]

Why do you want a Japanese one? They're region free so you can get a western one and still buy Japanese games to play.

Like I said in the OP, I want one in white. Although saying that, the khaki one looks pretty good too...

 

[TehCookie]

Why do you want a Japanese one? They're region free so you can get a western one and still buy Japanese games to play.

Like I said in the OP, I want one in white. Although saying that, the khaki one looks pretty good too...

They have white ones in America, but I don't know where you live.

 

[Hazy992]

Why do you want a Japanese one? They're region free so you can get a western one and still buy Japanese games to play.

Like I said in the OP, I want one in white. Although saying that, the khaki one looks pretty good too...

They have white ones in America, but I don't know where you live.

I live in the UK, you can only get them in black over here as far as I know.

Oh and back to the topic, I probably wouldn't be importing Japanese games.

 

[TehCookie]

Why do you want a Japanese one? They're region free so you can get a western one and still buy Japanese games to play.

Like I said in the OP, I want one in white. Although saying that, the khaki one looks pretty good too...

They have white ones in America, but I don't know where you live.

I live in the UK, you can only get them in black over here as far as I know.

Oh and back to the topic, I probably wouldn't be importing Japanese games.

Then wouldn't importing a white one from America work? Same button scheme and the color you want.

Either that or look for the Assassins Creed bundle.

 

[Hazy992]

Why do you want a Japanese one? They're region free so you can get a western one and still buy Japanese games to play.

Like I said in the OP, I want one in white. Although saying that, the khaki one looks pretty good too...

They have white ones in America, but I don't know where you live.

I live in the UK, you can only get them in black over here as far as I know.

Oh and back to the topic, I probably wouldn't be importing Japanese games.

Then wouldn't importing a white one from America work? Same button scheme and the color you want.

Either that or look for the Assassins Creed bundle.

The listings on eBay.com are either too expensive, used, or are the Japanese Slim models anyway (which is what I was planning on buying).

 

[shrekfan246]

I'm really confused here, and I don't really want to buy a console where conventions I've gotten used to over the past 15 years are suddenly reversed. Switching between the Vita and my PS3 and PS4 would just get frustrating.

While I'll admit I've got no experience first-hand with Japanese-region consoles, it's usually the control scheme per game that's set up so O is accept and X is cancel, not the console. Since you wouldn't be importing games, the control scheme should theoretically be exactly the same as it would if you bought a UK Vita.

 

[Roxas1359]

snip

As most people have been saying, the only things switched are the O button and the X button. Reason for this is, as others have said, O represents Maru, which means correct in Japanese, and X represents Chigau which is wrong. Basically if you want to select something, you hit the O button, and if you wanna go back you hit the X button.

Please note though, that the access to the store I think is restricted to the Japanese PSN store, which in hindsight is actually a better thing since the PSN in Japan for the Vita has way more stuff.

 

[Hazy992]

I'm really confused here, and I don't really want to buy a console where conventions I've gotten used to over the past 15 years are suddenly reversed. Switching between the Vita and my PS3 and PS4 would just get frustrating.

While I'll admit I've got no experience first-hand with Japanese-region consoles, it's usually the control scheme per game that's set up so O is accept and X is cancel, not the console. Since you wouldn't be importing games, the control scheme should theoretically be exactly the same as it would if you bought a UK Vita.

That was my guess too, but I found a thread on Neogaf where people are saying it was inconsistent, with some games reversing it and others not.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=760295

 

[shrekfan246]

I'm really confused here, and I don't really want to buy a console where conventions I've gotten used to over the past 15 years are suddenly reversed. Switching between the Vita and my PS3 and PS4 would just get frustrating.

While I'll admit I've got no experience first-hand with Japanese-region consoles, it's usually the control scheme per game that's set up so O is accept and X is cancel, not the console. Since you wouldn't be importing games, the control scheme should theoretically be exactly the same as it would if you bought a UK Vita.

That was my guess too, but I found a thread on Neogaf where people are saying it was inconsistent, with some games reversing it and others not.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=760295

Interesting.

I don't know I'm the right person to really make a suggestion, in that case, since I've played with so many different control schemes over the years across Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft, and Sony consoles and the PC that it's not really a problem for me any more. In fact, I think I switched around the buttons for Final Fantasy VII and IX on my Vita to reflect the EU/Japan control schemes anyway.

 

[Hazy992]

I'm really confused here, and I don't really want to buy a console where conventions I've gotten used to over the past 15 years are suddenly reversed. Switching between the Vita and my PS3 and PS4 would just get frustrating.

While I'll admit I've got no experience first-hand with Japanese-region consoles, it's usually the control scheme per game that's set up so O is accept and X is cancel, not the console. Since you wouldn't be importing games, the control scheme should theoretically be exactly the same as it would if you bought a UK Vita.

That was my guess too, but I found a thread on Neogaf where people are saying it was inconsistent, with some games reversing it and others not.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=760295

Interesting.

I don't know I'm the right person to really make a suggestion, in that case, since I've played with so many different control schemes over the years across Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft, and Sony consoles and the PC that it's not really a problem for me any more. In fact, I think I switched around the buttons for Final Fantasy VII and IX on my Vita to reflect the EU/Japan control schemes anyway.

I think the most surprising is that some people reported that the onscreen button prompts don't match what you're actually supposed to press. I could get used to pressing O for accept in menus or whatever, but that would just throw me off completely.

 

[Weaver]

I'm confused as to what the Japanese thought 'X' meant in the west.
I mean, it's not like the button to close my window is a huge X or anything and permutes most of our entire culture as "cancel".