Rumor: Rumbling Sixaxis gains touch sensitivity, little added cost

by Nick Doerr { Jul 4th 2007 at 6:30PM }

Here's a news piece that will be a joy for your hands. You may use them to clap softly to yourself if you'd like, but we prefer shaking them violently as if they were holding a rumble controller with Sixaxis capabilities plus touch sensitivity. At the same price as current Sixaxis controllers. PSM France report that this so-called "Touchsense" ability gives a new sensation to the last-gen rumble we're used to. Random shaking caused by two twirling hammers or whatever. So lame! This new rumble allows your hands to grab a sensation from not only the handles, but through the "levers" as well. We're fairly sure that means the analog sticks. They're kind of levers.

The rumor spawning this information states that the cost to manufacture all this new technology is actually cheaper than previous rumble mechanisms, thus adding very little cost to the Sixaxis, if any at all. Along with this little tip, it seems PSM France found it prudent to claim an upcoming firmware update will enable rumble for backwards compatible titles. We'll see if these rumors are true at E3 next week!

[via Joystiq]

Tags: playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sixaxis, sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Stef Geiger @ Jul 4th 2007 6:42PM

The apparent inexpensiveness of the new rumble stuff kind of suggests that it's the new stuff that immersion has been working on that apparently is MUCH stronger and uses way less power.

Sounds pretty cool. I neat concept that no console controller has had.

Tim @ Jul 4th 2007 7:47PM

This is awesome if true. BC for rumble! OH FUCK YES!

Better late than never me thinks.

apease @ Jul 4th 2007 8:24PM

Sounds like force-feedback instead of rumble. FINALLY! PC joysticks (and some console steering wheels apparently) had real force feedback for a very long time, and was so much better than rumble. I'm sure it won't be as good as the PC joysticks where the feedback could move the handle in any direction with a great deal of force, but if it even comes close, everyone will know why the statement "rumble is last-gen" is so true.

Troy @ Jul 4th 2007 8:29PM

I have a questionnn!!!. Well 2. what does Touch sensitivity mean AND whats the difference between rumble and force feedback?

TheGuy @ Jul 4th 2007 8:40PM

@Troy

The "touch sensitivity" in this article appears to be referring to force feedback in the analog sticks. As for the difference, rumble is just vibrations/shaking you feel in the controller when in particular situations in a game (ex. firing a weapon) while forced feedback is the feelings you get from the controller in particular situations in a game (ex. a more stiff steering wheel when driving down a dirt dirt road in a driving game with a steering wheel controller).

Stef Geiger @ Jul 4th 2007 8:43PM

Touch sensitivity is a really inaccurate term. Force feedback is probably the best one. Failing that, "joystick rumble".

Think of what this would do for firing guns in FPSs! Instead of the software simulating your character's inability to compensate for the recoil by moving the reticle higher and higher, the feedback coming from the stick could actually force you do aim higher and higher. I think that actually would be more immersive.

Deathalo @ Jul 5th 2007 12:31AM

Hey Nick, you may want to re-word the title slightly, because as I first read it (and I'm sure many others) I thought you meant that there would be a little extra cost added to the new controller, as in it would cost more than 50 bucks. Just a thought.

-DH

russ @ Jul 5th 2007 5:06AM

This sounds good.
Now Sony need to make 2 tweaks to the design.
1. Make the L2 & R2 buttons curve away from the controller at the bottom (my fingers tend to slip off them)
2. Make the analogue sticks slightly concave to increase grip.

Stef Geiger @ Jul 5th 2007 11:40AM

@Russ: Agreed. That's exactly what they need to do with L2 and R2. Unfortunately, they won't do either, since it would kind of go against the Playstation design sensibility. Those changes would make the controller look far less elegant, which is kind of what they're shooting for. Notice how it's the only controller on the market that's completely symmetrical?

I wonder how well it would work if you just made a ridge with a line of glue gun glue at the bottom of the buttons. It would stay on, but if would always come off clean if you wanted it off.

ryano @ Jul 5th 2007 2:05PM

if you make the L2 and R2 more "trigger-like" it would still make the controller symmetrical i think.

it'd make it more comfortable but also similar to the old game cube or 360 feel. it'd be great if a 3rd party could come out with one for shooters.

i was always a big fan of The FPS Master controller(while cheaply made it offered the best controller with FPS games...much moreso than PC conrols IMO)

Rezetro @ Jul 6th 2007 12:36AM

With all those added features. They could atleast make the controller feel a little bit more stronger structured. Because the PS3 controller feels quite fragile and almost like cheap feeling. Like the plastic feels like it can be easily cracked. Feel a PS2 controller and then a PS3 controller. The PS2 controller feels much stronger and has a better structure. Then feel a PS3 controller. You can make it squeak and crackle if u apply some force. It's not the lightness of the PS3 controller that makes it feel cheap and weak. but its the plastic covering. also maybe they could make the the new PS3 controller have a pure shiny black coating to match the PS3. Not being a finger-print magnet like the PS3 is but still having the same appearance. I'm not really liking the see-through black color. Makes it feel cheap lol. and maybe some minor adjustments to the L2 and R2 buttons. they feel cheap aswell. and the D-pad needs some serious work! just make it like the ps2 d-pad. it feels too sensitive.