Sony addressed one of the more longstanding demands from gamers today with a new addition to its PS3 accessories. The DualShock 3 Charging Station can power up two DualShock 3 or Sixaxis controllers without having to plug into an actively running PS3. Sony didn't say how quickly the controllers would charge, but cradling the gamepads needs an adapter for each gamepad, one of which is included in the box.
Sony on mid-Wednesday revealed a new 160GB version of the PlayStation 3. The new version holds twice as much as the 80GB PS3 that now serves as the low-end model, and was built partly to hold extra content from the just-opened PlayStation video store. The console still has the same expansion as the newer 80GB model, however, and is limited to two USB ports as well as backwards compatibility only for original PlayStation games. Wi-Fi and a DualShock 3 gamepad carry over from the other revised model.
Sony is developing a unique controller that would help the PS3 offer motion-based games like those found on the Nintendo Wii, GamesIndustry claims. Anonymous sources allege that the gamepad would act as usual in most cases but separate into two distinct parts, each of which would have a built-in accelerometer that recognizes movement. The pad is already said to be in the hands of some companies producing games for the PS3 and would let them implement code to support the controllers in advance.
Sony will phase out its original PlayStation 3 gamepad in the weeks following tomorrow's launch of the Dual Shock 3, the company has told MTV. A tactic similar to the discontinuation of the 60GB PS3 will see Sony halt production of its rumble-free SIXAXIS controllers and rely solely on existing stocks until they run dry; this is most likely to happen in the summer but will definitely take place by the end of 2008, a Sony spokesperson says.
