PS3 goes Wiiiiiiiii

It seems that the PS3 is getting it’s own ‘Wiimote’ called Playstation Move. Compare the designs for yourself!

Playstation Move

Black Wiimote + Nunchuck

Aside from using/stealing the same base design/concept of the Wiimote + Nunchuck, the Playstation Move utilizes different technologies to achieve this which is arguably going to give it better accuracy than the Wiimote.

The main point of interest is the (tacky) colored orb. This orb is used to track the player’s movements much like what is used for motion capture in many of the high budget 3D animated movies/scenes and even used by game developers to create movements for the characters in their games. If you’re unfamiliar with this process, the video camera (Playstation Eye) processes the images it receives but only registers the position/movements of the orb(s). With the system receiving this data it can determine where the orb currently is in reference to the screen as well as the depth level. The depth is determined by the perceived size of the orb which makes it very accurate unlike the Wiimote. This data can also be used to determine how fast you are moving in all directions.

It also utilizes an Accelerometer and Magnetometer which registers rotation of the controller (which can’t be determined by the single orb) along with it’s relative position against the Earth’s magnetic field and can be used to track movement when the orb is out of view of the Playstation Eye. While this type of tracking is not completely accurate, it should not pose too many problems since times when the orb is out of view should be few and far between.

Minor point, the Playstation Move will also be completely wireless in that the 2 parts of the controller are not connected to each other, unlike the Wiimote + Nunchuck, so there will be a much wider range of motion.

Overall, if this is implemented properly, it can give players a much more responsive and hands on gaming experience that the Nintendo “pioneered” but Sony is taking it to the next level. Whether the Playstation Move will be successful or not is anyone’s guess though in my experience, a hugely popular game that fully takes advantage of these new controls will be necessary for it be an item that most PS3 owners and future owners will buy. Since the PS3 is getting closer to the end of it’s life cycle, it may only take off if released as the default controls for their next system.