PS3 Eye camera coming this summer

The PlayStation 2's EyeToy, a camera peripheral for Sony's console, was originally launched in 2003 and spawned a number of titles that let users control gameplay in nontraditional ways. The camera and built-in mic picked up hand motions, movement, and sound and projected this information into the game itself.

Now Sony has announced a follow-up, the Eye, for the PlayStation 3. It will offer a number of improvements on the original, including a faster frame rate of 120 frames per second, a microphone array which reduces background noise, the ability to use the camera in low-light conditions, and a two-position zoom lens enabling both close-up and full-body views.

The USB camera will come bundled with EyeCreate editing software, which will enable users to save and edit photos as well as audio and video clips.

Sony Computer Entertainment America researcher and developer Richard Marks--who devised the original idea for the EyeToy--commented, "With the release of PlayStation Eye we will be able to dramatically enhance the consumer's PS3 experience. Beyond audio/video chat and the ability to save videos to your PS3 hard drive, PlayStation Eye opens up a whole new world of entertainment options and adds a new dimension to games across multiple genres."

Eye has not yet been priced and is set for release in Europe and the US this summer.