The DualShock controller was first released in 1997. Sony introduced the original DualShock in November of that year for the first PlayStation, with Japan receiving it on November 20, 1997.
The controller evolved from Sony's earlier Dual Analog Controller, adding two analog sticks and vibration feedback as standard. Its name refers to the two vibration motors housed inside the controller grips, which could produce different strengths of rumble.
A common mix-up is confusing the DualShock with the Dual Analog Controller, which launched earlier in 1997, or with the DualShock 2, which arrived alongside the PlayStation 2 in 2000. Another reason 1998 sometimes appears is that the controller's rollout and replacement of earlier PlayStation controllers varied by region. Nevertheless, the first DualShock release belongs to 1997.