PlayStation Move: What You Need to Know

The PlayStation Move represents Sony's big push into the realm of motion-controlled gaming. The Move setup is made up of the Move motion controller, PlayStation Eye camera, and the optional Move Navigation controller. At E3 2010, Sony revealed that the Move will come be released in North America on September 19, Japan on October 21, and in Europe on September 15. The company priced the Move motion controller at $50, and the Navigation controller at $30; the already released PlayStation Eye camera costs $40. Sony also announced a PlayStation 3 bundle that includes the Move controller with the PlayStation Eye and the game Sports Champions for $400. Another bundle, without the PlayStation 3, is $100 and includes the Move, the Eye, and the game Sports Champions.

The PlayStation Move functions by using a combination of accelerometers, gyrometers, and magnetometers. Sony determined that the sensors alone are not enough to accurately track movement. As a result, the lit bulb on top of the controller works in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye to help do so. The colors of the bulbs are activated by a combination of LEDs and are fully customizable by game developers. The colors can also change shade to help the PS Eye better track movement in case a particular room environment has similar color schemes.

Data processing for the PlayStation Move controller is handled by the PlayStation 3's Cell processor. A single SPU handles data from the controller's sensors and images from the PS Eye. Up to four controllers can be tracked at one time. Furthermore, Sony indicated that the Cell is rather adept at image processing and does so with little memory overhead and minimal impact to overall performance. The PS Eye's camera system generates images at 60 frames per second, with a resolution of 640x480. When combined with the PlayStation Move controller and the Cell processor, the setup can accurately measure millimeter differences in movement and is accurate enough to detect one-degree shifts in angle.

Calibration of the controllers will take place when a gaming session begins, and according to Sony's researchers, it shouldn't take more than half a second to accomplish. Should conditions change sufficiently (for instance, if someone turns on the lights or the sun sets), in order for the setup to accurately determine movement, gameplay will automatically stop, and the player will be prompted to recalibrate the controller.

Aside from providing motion control, the PlayStation Move controller has a large analog trigger (T button) on the bottom, an extra-large action button on top, and the usual square, triangle, circle, cross, and PS Home buttons. The PlayStation Move controller communicates via Bluetooth 2.0, like the DualShock 3, and also features a lithium ion battery that's rechargeable via a mini-USB port. Built-in rumble provides force feedback for the Move motion controller. Sony's PlayStation Move controller detects motion in the X,Y, and Z planes and also senses rotation about those planes independently.

The PlayStation Move navigation controller--a separate controller from the main Move controller--has a full D pad, an analog stick, a trigger, and X, O, and PS Home buttons. Games like SOCOM 4 make use of the navigation controller for walking around and other functions. Sony states that the DualShock 3 controller can be used as a substitute for the navigation controller. The navigation controller also has a mini-USB port for charging and future peripheral attachments.

Check below for our coverage of the PlayStation Move and its games from E3 2010.