Technomaly

Last summer, both Sony and Microsoft announced that their video game consoles would be updated with motion-sensing peripherals to help them compete against Nintendo’s widly popular Wii platform. Microsoft has been hyping its motion-sensing camera Project Natal ever since. On the other hand, Sony has been a lot quieter about it’s device – until now.

Officially named the PlayStation Move, Sony’s new motion-sensing controller looks a lot like the Nintendo Wii Remote, but with some key differences. The big ball you see on the end of the device is tracked by the PlayStation Eye camera (which is required for use). Just like the Wii Remote, the Move controller has an internal gyroscope, and between the two the Move is reported to be a much more accurate motion detector than the Wii Remote. A common issue when playing Wii games is when the Remote is pointed off screen, the Wii sensor bar becomes confused. Camera tracking eliminates this problem – even when the camera loses the Move, it’s programmed to extrapolate its position. That also means that someone walking between you and the camera won’t disrupt your game.

The Move also features a “subcontroller” similar to the Wii Remote Nunchuck. However, the subcontroller is wireless and (currently) doesn’t feature any motion detection features – it’s purely to add more traditional game controls like a directional pad. Both the subcontroller and the Move itself are powered by long-lasting lithium ion batteries – a huge improvement over the Wii’s fast-burning AA batteries.

If you’re not a big gamer, you may be wondering what all this means. In short, it can be summed up like this: All of the gesture-based games you’ve seen and experienced on the Wii are now available on a video game console with much better graphics and a Blu-ray player. Sony is betting that those facts will be a big enough draw to siphon off future sales from Nintendo.

The Move will be available this Fall in several different retail packages. Pricing details are scarce, but a kit containing the Move, the PlayStation Eye camera and an unnamed game will be available for under $100.