PS5 Will Make 'X' The Default Select Button In Japan For The First Time In PlayStation History

The PlayStation 5 will feature a "globally unified" control scheme when it launches next month.

This will make the 'X' button (or "Cross", if you so prefer) the default button for selecting items in a menu.

That's nothing new for many fans worldwide, but Japanese players will have some adjusting to do.

Read More: PlayStation 5 Will Have 664GB of Usable Storage Space, According To A New Leak

PlayStation 5 Will Switch Buttons In Japan For First Time In 26 Years

In Japan, "Circle" has long been the affirmative button on Sony hardware.

That's because in Japanese culture, "X" is the symbol for "incorrect", meaning that's usually the one that takes you back to a previous screen.

Some franchises have continued this even outside of Japan, including Metal Gear Solid.

As reported by Famitsu, the PS5 will ensure a global control scheme that means "X" means accept.

Wow, this is big news for UI/UX. PlayStation 5 will use the X button to confirm by default for ALL REGIONS including Japan, who previously used O to confirm for the past 26 years. Muscle memory frustration for the nearly 10M PS users in Japan coming up.https://t.co/Heo7XaWjsk

— Kenji Iguchi (@needle_e)

October 4, 2020

With many PS4 games being playable on PS5, there's a good chance many Japanese players could be in for a frustrating few weeks until muscle memory sets in. 

Looking to grab a console for launch? Be sure to check out our rundown of some of the PS5's launch title file sizes.

We've got all the information on Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon's Souls.

We also know that Godfall will require an always-online connection, despite not being a "games as a service" title.