The Peripherals

SIXAXIS

Let's start off with the new SIXAXIS wireless controller. Basically, it's the same Dual Shock design, which is better then their uglier boomerang prototype. Amongst the new changes is the new PlayStation button in the middle (above where the Analog button would have been for the Dual Shock controller). The L2 and R2 buttons have also been changed to 'trigger'-type buttons for better precision.

In addition, there is now a USB connector on the controller where the cord used to be on the Dual Shock controller. We will be covering the PlayStation buttons in greater detail later. But generally, the PlayStation button is used to quickly exit games, check the controller's assigned port as well as battery level. It also turns off the PlayStation 3.

Next to the USB connector are four LEDs which tell you which channel the controller is bound to. The SIXAXIS controller is connected to the PlayStation 3 console via Bluetooth and as mentioned before, the PlayStation 3 supports up to seven controllers. When you have so many controllers active, the LEDs will show a combination that stands for more than four channels.

The SIXAXIS has a non-removable battery inside it. Sony states that the SIXAXIS wireless controller can last up to 30 hours when fully charged. I had reservations about the battery life of the SIXAXIS controller but after my longest streak of play (roughly seven hours of non-stop action in Resistance: Fall of Man), the battery meter still showed a full three bars!

You might also be wondering why they chose the name SIXAXIS. That's because the SIXAXIS controller detects movements in six axes (pretty smart of them to name it that way, huh? ). The SIXAXIS controller can detect '3-posture axes' (roll, pitch, yaw) as well as the 3 dimensions of acceleration (the X, Y, and Z axes.) There are already some games that utilize the motion-sensing abilities (Motorstorm - out soon, Blazing Angles, and even Resistance: Fall of Man - shake enemy off).

The PlayStation 3 console comes with one SIXAXIS controller included as well as the USB controller. For those who need two or more controllers, additional SIXAXIS wireless controllers will set you back about $50 each.

In my case, I bought another SIXAXIS controller so we could play some two-player games (Resistance: Fall of Man is HIGHLY recommended!). However, when I got home, I was rather suprised that Sony chose not to include a USB cable with the separate controller (oh, come on now!).

Fortunately, I have a whole box of spare parts I could dig into for a USB cable. Still, they should have included a USB cable. How much could it have cost them? Let's not skimp there, shall we...

Blu-ray Remote Control

Apart from another SIXAXIS wireless controller, I also picked up a Blu-ray remote control for the PlayStation 3. The Sony PlayStation 3 allows the user to control the DVD menu through the SIXAXIS controller.

However, it would be a lot nicer to have a dedicated Blu-ray Disc (BD) Remote to make navigating through the Blu-ray menu more intuitive. The BD remote, however, does not have an infra-red port in the front.

Instead, Sony made the BD remote transmit via Bluetooth. This eliminates the need for it to have a line of sight to the PlayStation 3 console, or ricocheting the signal off a wall.

At $24.99, it's not too bad a buy! Worth buying if you are as crazy about Blu-ray as I am.

Next up, we will take look at the interface.