jesta
Moderator
(This isn't the Sixense controller)
Rumours have been going around the internet about a PS3 motion sensing controller for quite some time now, but due to a leaked youtube video the rumours look like fact. The video was leaked by PlayStation Lifestyle, and it was them who gave us the original information about the new PlayStation controller back in June.
Titled the ‘Sixense', the Wiimote-like controller is based on the Nintendo motion sensing principle but the difference being the Sixense will include "precise tracking relative to the base station."
"Sixense designed this thing to use magnetic field detection so it can track both your hands on the controller position in full 3D real-time, with an accurate 10 millisecond refresh rate."
Nintendo and their vision carved the way for this new technology with the Wii being a massive success. With a unique style of gameplay that offers a physical way to interact with a console, the Nintendo Wii showed us the future of how to play games, and although the graphics are not up to the PS3's standard by far, it's the motion sensing that has kept the Wii at the top of the sales chart since it was released 2 years ago.
Whereas Sony, with their high-tech console, hasn't taken off as much as some would like due to the price tag being too high for most people. So Sony, it seems, is trying to capitalize on the success of the Wiimote. There have been many talks about whether or not they were to build such a device. Some of the ideas were to have a ‘break-apart' controller, that is to say a one piece model that can split into two pieces, or a ‘First Person Shooter (FPS) Controller.' But now the videos show us what to expect, the Sixense.
The video also shows us that the hardware is still being tested, there is a bit of lag between movements and seeing the action on screen, but the range of movement is already far superior to the Wiimote. Sony has yet to have any official say on the matter and it's very unlikely that we will be seeing Sixense this holiday.
Now, with the Nintendo Wii's Motion Plus coming out spring'09, which will also be offering a 1:1 motion control, will the Sixense make the PS3 more desirable, or will it just make it more expensive? If you really are after some 1:1 motion sensing controls is it best to stay with the cheaper white console which will offer a small plug-in for around $30, or buy the high end expensive black console and fork out another load for a whole new controller? I'll leave that up to you...
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