Sony Planning to Move on PS3 Motion Controller

Sony has announced it plans to release a motion controller for the PlayStation 3...but it's not going to land until early 2010.

It’s been almost three years since Nintendo began proving conclusively that a motion-sensitive controller can be a hit in the video gaming world, and now Sony has announced it plans to get in on the act, saying it plans to ship a new motion controller for its PlayStation 3 video game system. However, folks who were planning on maybe buying (or receiving) a stocking-stuffer for the holiday season are out of luck: the new controller won’t be available until “spring 2010,” which in marketing-speak means sometime before mid-June.

Sony’s new controller will integrate with Sony’s Eye camera, which can track player’s body motion, voices, and faces. The company claims the controller will be “sub-millimeter” precise, and seems to split the difference between Microsoft’s forthcoming Project Natal—which aims to let users control games using just body motion, with no controller at all—and Nintendo’s Wii controller, which captures its own motion and orientation and button status, but is unaware of a user’s real body motion.

Sony did not reveal any pricing information for the controller.

Sony also announced that its new PS3 Slim is racking up impressive sales numbers: according to the company, the PS3 Slim has sold more than 1 million units worldwide since its introduction three weeks ago. Sales have no doubt been aided by the console’s new price point—$299 US—and the revamped console is not only smaller, but consumers less power and produces less noise.