Rumor: Nunchuck coming to PS3 Motion Controller

The PlayStation 3’s upcoming motion controller, arriving this summer with a healthy collection of games, may not only include the dildo-like wand. According to insider rumours, Sony’s answer to the Nintendo Wii may come with a complementary “nunchuck” controller.

Sony’s Arc/Gem/’the Wand,’ whatever you want to call it, is rumored to be arriving in two wireless parts: the glowing stick we’ve seen before and a “nunchuck” that will feature a number of buttons, including an analogue stick, Square, Circle and even L1 and R1. The rumor comes by the way of a NeoGAF forum user, who writes:

“Heard from Dev friend who has these at his work. Was initially given the PSWand with big pink blob, looks like sex toy. Last few weeks wireless nunchuck arrived!

“Has analog stick and square and circle on it and I think L1 and R1. I’ll have to check the proper details but looks like the nunchuk will happen. Wireless too, sweet.”

Though the poster’s reliability cannot be measured, they did have this word of reassurance:

“Just to confirm that this is fact I’ve heard from my friend on Saturday. He’s to be trusted (by me at least) and so I hope you guys trust me. I believe this is happening but if proven wrong I’m sure I’ll be banned or branded a k***head or something.

“I’ll speak to him later this week about the exact details of the buttons but he says that the nunchuk only arrived fairly recently and both have the mini-usb socket in the bottom.”

Said developer friend doesn’t work within Sony but works for a game developer who is interested in using the tech for their next PS3 game. So though you should take this with a bucket of salt, the rumor certainly isn’t out of the question and could signify the controller’s delay until summer 2010 instead of its previously announced spring release window.

Though the nunchuck accessory will be good news for hardcore gamers who are interested in the technology, it may not be a positive move for differentiating the technology from Nintendo’s Wii. The Wii isn’t going to go away any time soon, so fighting it on Nintendo’s terms may not be the best move. Microsoft’s differentiating “no controller” Project Natal is likely to sell to the imaginations of Wii’d out consumers more, even if its technology is not as accurate as Sony’s Wand and nunchuck…or what we’d like to call Wunchuck.

Readers Comments (27)

  1. TheRighteousFascist February 17, 2010 @ 18:15

    Awesome news. I don’t think one half of the Wii motion controller would have been good enough.

  2. Well the guy did do dual-wielding in the on-stage demo. I wonder if the nunchuck will have a light-blob on it too.

  3. Wunchuck is a feckin brilliant name

  4. yeah now itll be like the wiimote (sarcasm off)

  5. How original a nunchuck controller . Playing catchup wont put sony on top anytime soon.

  6. ha, and here i was thinking $ony were just copping nintendo……………………………….

  7. People are jumping to conclusions. This is just a rumour.

  8. If you remember, at TGS Capcom used the Wand and a Dualshock held sideways, used to control the camera…I expect Sony saw that and thought “that’s a silly way to hold a dualshock, lets give ’em a nunchuck”

  9. is the 12 year old mentality necessary in every article about this “sextoy?” I think the only comparison to a sextoy should be about the author: buttplug

  10. Rasta, I don’t think I 12-year-old would know what one was. We’re here to inform and to make you giggle when you read the news. We’re sorry such words and images offend you, but a passing reference to the odd design of this motion sensing contraption on our website isn’t going to have us losing sleep. For it was Nintendo who named their console the “Wii” and hopefully you can have a wee giggle at the expense of a trio of serious platform holders. Thanks again.

  11. I accept this is a rumour, but assuming it’s not, I don’t think it matters that they’re outwardly copying Nintendo in this. I think it’s a welcome addition to the otherwise-shovelware Gem. It means we can play real games on it, with MOVEMENT. And hey, I’m welcoming the HD Wii ports which could be coming. Sony and Nintendo should put their *cough* differences behind them and team up! 😀

    Barely related thought: the Dead Space: Extraction release certainly goes well with the Gem, no?

  12. Remahr,

    Maybe in terms of a nunchuck. But the wand certainly is not copying.

  13. is this new? i thought they plained from the start to nun chuck it up?

  14. Didn’t they say that you could use two of those wands? Or isn’t that the same thing? It doesn’t sound like too much news to me, they just change the way it looks a bit and makes it not function as the main thing (which could arguebly make it cheaper)

  15. im all in for this! just so long as they release good games for it and have some games (that i play at least) that supports this

    just the little demo at last year’s e3 was phenomenal….an RTS FPS…….oh my gawd!

  16. Wow, Ps3 is trying to compete with the wii and will succeed on getting millions of casual gamers on OUR side. Better graphics and more precise game play is my type of things. I hate the 1 second response time it takes when I’m playing on the wii. Because for a hardcore gamer… one second makes the difference.

  17. man, i just hope the PS3 does conquer the Wii and its crappy titles lol

    port over Petz: Saddle Club! i want to scrape some crap of my horses’ shoe!

  18. just give me some hardcore title s thats all i ask for

  19. just give me some “good” hardcore title s

    fixed

    come on starcraft 2 for PS3!!!

  20. To me it doesnt matter if they bring a nunchuck as long if they have good shooters with better graphics then the wii

  21. wtf why would L1 and R1 be on the same controller?

  22. @killah2010: hmmm that is kind of odd….im pretty sure he means L1 and L2 tho

    but man, i am a bit hyped for this….sony better not mess up this opportunity

  23. Well.. if its true expect allot of waggle ware. I really hope it isn’t true, but thinking about how much it’ might cost them or us allot if they included two “wands” in a package, they might just end up giving us a nunchuck.

  24. @Arcthelad: ahh yes..the pricepoint…man i hope the bundle isnt too much (seeing as we need the Eye, because most of us don’t, the wand, and the nunchuck….).

    but i do think a second wand/nunchuck is needed….as that E3 demo last year showed the sword and shield…it would be awkward not to be able to use that shield to block certain areas and stuff…

    what if it turns out that they scrapped the nunchuck and just used the Sixaxis/DS3 instead?? LOL

    but really tho, i hope the bundle doesnt go over 100….because i’d have to wait for a price drop dammit…..But for some reason i have a feeling this wont get a pricedrop any time soon

  25. I think the idea of a numbchuck kind of thing would add a lot more potential to the controller as somethings require buttons.

  26. @scottspeed: well i dont think it would just add more potential…but that something like this is NECESSARY in order for it to be successful

  27. Sony seems to be going to the same direction as Nintendo with the Remote and Nunchuck style, but Sony verison is wireless. I think Microsoft Project Natal will probably attract people interest more because it can track your movement without you holding anything.

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