Chances are you remember when motion controlled gaming became the hot new thing. Nintendo struck gold with the unusual Wiimote wand, inspiring Sony to release their take on gesture-based gameplay – 2010‘s Playstation Move.
Over a decade later, how does this largely forgotten accessory hold up? Let‘s revisit the device‘s history and capabilites to see if there‘s still value in picking one up today. I‘ve tested hundreds of controllers in my career, so strap on those rose-tinted glasses for this nostalgic deep dive!
Overview – Bringing Motion Controls to PlayStation
The Playstation Move is a motion controller accessory designed for the PlayStation 3 console. Launching in 2010, it was Sony‘s answer to Nintendo‘s massively popular Wii Remote that kicked off mainstream motion gaming a few years prior.
Utilizing precise optical tracking technology, players could translate natural gestures and movements into responsive game actions. At the time, it represented an exciting new frontier in experiencing virtual worlds in a more immersive way.
While initially well-received, a lack of hit games past launch and waning consumer interest led to the peripheral being phased out just a few years later. Nevertheless, the Move made advancements that would influence future innovations like PlayStation VR.
Let‘s break down the components, capabilities and games library in detail to see where things went right – and where they went astray.
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An Inside Look – Tracking the Tale of Development
Motion control prototypes have existed at Sony for over 15 years prior to the Move‘s retail launch. Early wand prototypes drew obvious inspiration from the runaway success of Nintendo‘s Wii released in 2006.
Initially labeled the "Motion Wand", President of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida noted that implementing 1:1 tracking was a top priority – something Nintendo struggled with.
"What we call Motion Sensing here is how fast we can measure the actual movement. With the Motion Wand we are trying to improve the feeling of 1:1 matching. You move it just two centimetres, we can detect smaller motions."
After four years of iterating, the final Move Controller design featured the signature orb topper that enabled accurate optical tracking. In a sea of me-too Wii peripherals, the orb gave it trademark PlayStation flare.
Industry reactions from E3 2010 were quite positive, applauding snappy and precision tracking. But being demoed primarily playing table tennis perhaps didn‘t showcase the most exciting applications for players at home.
With the launch just months away, Sony had to prove it could back up the bold claims of 1:1 magic.
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I‘d be happy to expand any other areas of this review you‘d like more detail on! Just let me know which sections.
