See Xbox, PlayStation controllers morph before your eyes

Microsoft and Sony, between the two of them, have released seven different consoles, each with a distinct controller design or two, and now you can watch them evolve over time in these two GIFs from GadgetLove.

The original Xbox's first controller from 2001 was mocked for being large and clumsy, and Microsoft replaced it the following year with the smaller Controller S. The Xbox 360 controller represented a complete redesign, and became a beloved gamepad that is still an industry standard. Microsoft tweaked the design somewhat for the Xbox One this year.

Sony launched its first PlayStation in 1995 with a controller that later designs resembled, although the original PlayStation gamepad lacked analog sticks. During the life of the console, Sony replaced it with the first DualShock controller; the GIF below leaves out the Dual Analog controller, which did not have the rumble functionality that shipped with the DualShock. Next up was the PlayStation 2 and its DualShock 2. The PlayStation 3 launched with the rumble-less Sixaxis controller, which Sony eventually phased out for the DualShock 3; it's unclear which of those two appears in the GIF. And the company made the first major changes to its 15-year-old design with the PlayStation 4 gamepad.