As Stephen Colbert would say, "We called it!" SIXAXIS awakens...
by Nick Doerr 
{ Oct 3rd 2006 at 3:00PM }
We've said it once, we've said it twice, but now it's completely and utterly official -- the PS3 controller is the SIXAXIS. Now we have the Dual Shock and the SIXAXIS... a match made in heaven (now if only they could "get together" and have a child with both motion and rumble capabilities... if only). Each SIXAXIS has a lithium ion battery built in that can be recharged by plugging it into the PS3 via USB. A charge takes about 30 minutes. Yeah, you can still play whilst the controller recharges. Isn't the Playstation 3 badass? These should all be standard ideas, but it's nice to know they didn't go the Wavebird route and require AA batteries. That's a pain.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
AL7AIR @ Oct 3rd 2006 3:53PM
Or the Xbox 360 wireless pad route with batteries or a 20 €uro extra expanse if you wanna have the play & charge kit because the controller has it's own little Microsoft connector instead of a standard usb plug :P
Keil Joy @ Oct 4th 2006 3:05PM
they should have just paid Immersion Corp. the money owed to them. but no. sony reps wanted to be bad-asses and fight the case to the bitter end- only to have the courts forbid sony from implimenting the patented vibration technology in their controllers any further. that's probably how we got stuck with this unforgiving motion-whatever controller. hopefully, the gaming experience won't be compromised as a result of this. but i do think gameplay will feel a lil' different- especially when playing sports games..
Andir2.0 @ Oct 3rd 2006 4:30PM
I'm waiting on the 360 fans to come flame Sony for using Li-Ion batteries in the controllers...
SuicideNinja @ Oct 3rd 2006 4:56PM
Exactly. I wasn't too happy about Microsoft's proprietary plug PNC kit. I like the mini-USB standard plug idea, and Microsoft is to be hit with a stick for being proprietary (I'm amazed it wasn't Sony doing it that way). I also like that all the controllers will be the same (not a separate wired version).
Admittedly, I don't use those PNC cables; I use the charging dock. I can't stand using wired controllers even for 30 minutes now.
The prices on the wireless 360 controllers do seem a bit much. We'll see if we get the cheaper Japanese SIXAXIS pricing in the US unlike the console.
However, I still hate the Dualshock 2/SIXAXIS shape and design, and I'm still unhappy about the lack of rumble. I don't like that "built-in" battery idea either. I'm sure some 3rd party will come with replacment batteries though.
B1gC72 @ Oct 3rd 2006 7:51PM
i really like the standard mini-usb idea. good move 4 sony. that way i can use it with my PSP even easier since the cable will already b plugged into the PS3. makes sense to me.
Murphy @ Oct 3rd 2006 10:07PM
Oh no! I hope these Sony battery-powered controllers won't explode every time we get to the historically-accurate, giant enemy crabs!!!
Dang, I love the PlayStation 3.
Matt @ Oct 4th 2006 1:09PM
Exploding controllers!!!
Besides the exploderisms, this was smart.
Billy @ Oct 4th 2006 3:51PM
Standard plugs = good
Built in battery = bad (Lithium batteries lose like 20%of their max charge per year, so not cool)
Well they got it half right.
Andir2.0 @ Oct 4th 2006 6:01PM
For the record, I could care less about a half assed rumbling controller. Rumble was not that great. It never really gave you a feel for what was going on. It just shook. Woo!
JacKal @ Oct 6th 2006 2:45AM
I think the PS3 controller is spiffy (except for the lack of rumble, which angers me to no end), and having it powered by mini-usb is very nifty.. however all you guys complaining about batteries... I don't get that.. the 360 controller proprietary charge kit is bollocks. Get some rechargable battery set and you're good to go. I'll be doing the same for the Wii controllers as well. What, you have to have your console *provide* you with a way to charge batteries? There are methods, tried and true, that have been around for ages. It only makes things more expensive if the console has to come up with these posh solutions for you, and that's money and time better spent on other things.