Accessories for wholesale PlayStation 3 will be appearing in their droves over the next six months, as third party developers try to cash in on the likely popularity of the new console.The only accessory to be included as standard is the SIXAXIS wireless controller - one of them will be included in the box with each PlayStation 3. As well as wireless operation, this accessory can also be used with a wired USB connection. This is how it will be charged. Earlier versions of this accessory were known as the Dual Shock 2, since the controller is a successor to the Dual Shock device, used as an accessory to the PlayStation 2.
Sony will also be selling a couple of other basic accessories. One is a memory card adaptor for the PlayStation 3. Armed with this, gamers will be able to connect their old PlayStation 2 memory cards to the new PlayStation 3. A remote control accessory, working over blue tooth, will enable control of the PlayStation 3 disc player. Lazy gamers won't even have to get out of bed.
But expect the most exciting developments to be coming from third parties. So far, there is not much to see. Logitech are providing a Chill Stream controller for the PlayStation 3 - essentially identical to the PS2 Chill stream. It is due for release on November 22, and the price tag is set to be about $40. On a more pragmatic note, Nyko plan to sell a cooling device for the PlayStation 3. It will bear the same name, 'Intercooler', as its counterpart for the Xbox 360. But once the platform is established, the PlayStation 3 accessory market is sure to take off. Without doubt we will see driving wheels, musical instruments for games like Guitar Hero, and quirky new toys that we can barely even predict.
One disappointment is the lack of support for legacy devices. The PlayStation 3 is not guaranteed to work with hardware additions for its precursor the PlayStation 2. That means a lot of us will be stuck with a cupboard full of accessories that we cannot use with the PlayStation 3. We can hope that third-party developers will come up with some way of unofficially linking the old and the new - but do not count on it. So, the long and short of it is that we will have to wait a few more months to see a truly impressive range of accessories for getting wholesale Playstation 3. Sony message seems to be: first get your console, and only then begin the hunt for PlayStation 3 accessories.
