The Sixaxis controller, Sony’s priority technology for the PlayStation 3 which allows the user to manipulate the game environment in a number of ways by tilting the device in a number of directions. It has been a feature that has had its ups and downs. Some developers take advantage of it while others do not.
No matter how much time and money the developers spend on trying to make the PS3 experience unique through sixaxis, what is the use of the player’s experience is only going to be short term?
Through a recent study at Gamepro, reports have uncovered that when compared to the Wii and Xbox 360 controllers, the PS3 sixaxis turns out to be the controller with the shortest battery life. The sixaxis controller is the more lightweight of them all and probably the more technological savvy with the Blue-Tooth connectivity and all.
However, because the controller lacks an auto-off feature, Gamepro revealed that the battery life for the sixaxis last only nearly 19 hours. This is compared to the 36-hour lifespan of the Wiimote and 57 hours for the Xbox 360 controller.
This is really uncalled for. While the PS3 controller may present some heafty features, Sony needs to make some strides to ensure the overall enjoyment last a substantial amount of time. With 2008 being a big year for PlayStation 3 owners, we will all no doubt be using the console a lot in the coming months and naturally do not want to have to continuously recharging the controller. Hopefully Sony will introduce something that last a bit longer in the near future.
Source: GamePro