Playstation 3 Accessories
Sixaxis
Sixaxis Wireless Controller
Playstation 3′s Sixaxis wireless controller
Manufacturer
Sony Computer Entertainment
Type
Video game controller
Generation
Seventh generation era
Retail availability
November 11, 2006
Discontinued
April 2, 2008
Connectivity
Motion sensing, USB, Bluetooth (PS3 and PSP Go)
The Sixaxis Wireless Controller (SCPH-98040/CECHZC1) (trademarked “SIXAXIS”) (unofficially known as PlayStation 3 Wireless Controller) was the official wireless handheld controller for the Sony PlayStation 3, later to be succeeded by the DualShock 3. In Japan, individual Sixaxis controllers were available for purchase simultaneously with the console’s launch, without a USB to USB mini cable. The word “sixaxis” is also used to mean the motion sensitive technology in PlayStation 3 controllers. The word “Sixaxis” (contraction of “six axis” for the directional movements) is a palindrome. Sixaxis controllers can also be used on the PSP Go since both use Bluetooth and can be connected by registering the system and the controller on the PS3.
History
At E3 2005, Sony showcased their “boomerang” design for the PlayStation 3′s controller. Accompanied by much criticism, most of which were for its looks, this design was later abandoned. Sony later stated that the original controller “was very clearly designed as a design concept, and was never intended to be the final controller, despite what everybody said about it.”
The boomerang design was replaced by an altered, wireless version of the DualShock 2 controller at E3 2006. The Sixaxis controller is currently being phased out, and the DualShock 3 is the new official controller, which in addition to a vibration feature will still include Sixaxis functionality. However Europe would still have the Sixaxis controller during the summer of 2008, as the European Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots PlayStation 3 bundle includes a Sixaxis. The Sixaxis is no longer being produced.
Feature and design changes
A major feature of the Sixaxis controller is the ability to sense both rotational orientation and translational acceleration along all three dimensional axes, providing six degrees of freedom, hence the name. . This became a matter of controversy, as the circumstances of the announcement, made less than eight months after Nintendo revealed motion-sensing capabilities in its new game console controller (see Wii Remote), led to speculation that the addition of motion-sensing was a late-stage decision by Sony to follow Nintendo’s move. Further fueling the speculation was the fact that only Warhawk shown at E3 that year demonstrated the motion-sensing feature.[citation needed] Also, some comments from Incognito Entertainment, the developer behind the motion-sensing PlayStation 3 game, Warhawk, said that it received development controllers with the motion-sensing feature only 10 days or so before E3. Developer Brian Upton from SCE Studios Santa Monica later clarified that the Incognito had been secretly working on the motion-sensing technology “for a while”, but did not receive a working controller until “the last few weeks before E3″.
The Sixaxis features finer analog sensitivity than the DualShock 2, increased to 10-bit precision from the 8-bit precision of the DualShock 2. The controller also uses both analog and digital signals simultaneously at all times during gameplay. The frame beneath the L2 and R2 buttons has been omitted and these buttons have been made trigger-like, with the range of travel determining the degree of analog input rather than the range of pressure. In the place of the “Analog” mode button switch of previous dual analog models is a jewel-like “PS button” with the PlayStation logo, which can be used to access the home menu, switch controller inputs and turn the console or the controller on or off.
LEDs
The top of a DualShock 3 Sixaxis controller, LED lights on the right.
A row of four numbered LED port indicators are on the top of the controller, to identify and distinguish multiple wireless controllers. Due to there being only four player LEDs on the controller itself, multiple indicators light up for players 5, 6 and 7 (for example, if the ’4′ and ’1′ indicators are illuminated at the same time, the controller is assigned to Player 5). While the PS3 is turned on, pressing the PS button will bring up a menu displaying the battery charge of all synced controllers among other options.
Sixaxis accessories
Battery packs
The battery pack for the Sixaxis Wireless Controller is 3.7 V Li-ion battery with cable. The pack provides up to 30 hours on a full charge of continuous gaming for the wireless controller. It is recommended not to dispose batteries (which differ slightly in voltage). It also ships as part of the AC adapter charging kit and as part of the Sixaxis/DualShock 3 battery charger. Third party rechargeable battery pack kits are also available. Although, the USB Charger can also connected to AC Adaptor and PlayStation 3 original/slim console. The battery was originally not thought to be replaceable when a Sony spokesperson stated that the Sixaxis should operate for “many years before there’s any degradation in terms of battery performance. When and if this happens, then of course Sony will be providing a service to exchange these items”. Later, it was revealed that the Sixaxis came with instructions on how to remove the battery and that the battery was fully removable.
AC adapter charging kit
The AC adapter charging kit can charge Sixaxis and/or DualShock 3 controllers, the official Bluetooth headset and the Wireless Keypad. The kit can also charge the PSP-2000 and PSP-3000. The AC Charger uses a wall power plug, eliminating the need to have a PS3 running to charge the hardware. It includes one 4.92 ft. long USB cable (Type A Mini-B) and one of 6.56 ft long AC power with power cable cord.
USB 2.0 Cable Pack
The USB 2.0 Cable Pack allows the controller to be recharged while playing a game by plugging the Sixaxis/DualShock 3 wireless controller and PlayStation Portable into a USB hub. The kit also includes the rechargeable battery pack. It should also be noted that the USB 2.0 Cable Pack allows use of a wireless controller without a battery pack; however Sony Computer Entertainment recommends using a Li-ion battery (empty) to avoid damage to the exposed battery compartment.
Partial list of games that support 5-7 players offline
The following games support 7 players offline on a single screen unless otherwise noted. In addition to Sony-made controllers, almost any USB controller will work due to the PS3′s plug-and-play capabilities.[citation needed] Due to the Xbox 360 controller requiring driver support, it will not function, but most PC controllers will, in addition to PS2 controllers connected via a PS2-to-USB adapter.
3 on 3 NHL Arcade (6 players)
All-Pro Football 2K8
Bomberman Ultra
Buzz!: Quiz TV (requires 2 dongles for 5-8 players)
FIFA 08, FIFA 09, FIFA 10
FIFA Street 3
NBA 2K7, NBA 2K8, NBA 2K9, NBA 2K10
NHL 08, NHL 09, NHL 10
NHL 2K8, NHL 2K9, NHL 2K10
PixelJunk Racers
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 (6 players)
Removal of vibration capability
Sony announced that because of the included motion sensors, the vibration feature of previous PlayStation controllers was removed, stating that the vibration would interfere with motion-sensing. This therefore made the PS3 wireless controller incredibly light, which felt strange to players[citation needed] accustomed to heavier controllers such as the DualShock. Haptics developer Immersion Corporation, which had successfully sued Sony for patent infringement, expressed skepticism of Sony’s rationale, with company president Victor Viegas stating in an interview, “I don believe it a very difficult problem to solve, and Immersion has experts that would be happy to solve that problem for them,” under the condition that Sony withdraw its appeal of the patent infringement ruling. Immersion later emphasized compatibility with motion-sensing when introducing its next-generation vibration feedback technology, TouchSense. Subsequent statements from Sony were dismissive of the arguments from Immersion, with Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) Senior VP of Marketing Peter Dille stating, “It seems like the folks at Immersion are looking to sort of negotiate through the press and try to make their case to us we’ve talked about how there’s a potential for that rumble to interfere with the Sixaxis controller.”
However, in a press release made some eight months later, Phil Harrison, Sony’s president of worldwide studios, said: “Now, rumble I think was the last generation feature; it’s not the next-generation feature. I think motion sensitivity is.” He added that rumbling would, in the future, only come from third-party controllers. . That statement was proven false less than a year later, with the announcement of the DualShock 3.
Partial list of games using Sixaxis motion sensor
It should be noted that some of the demo versions of these games do not allow use of the motion sensor.
Army of Two
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Blast Factor
Blazing Angels
Blazing Angels 2
Burnout
