Sony to Debut Wii U-esque Cross-Controller Feature – How Does it Work?

Back at E3 Sony hinted at this feature that would allow players to essentially use their Vitas as a replacement for the PS3 controller. This feature is great for owners of both platforms because it takes the integration of their brand to a whole new level and it conveniently competes directly with Nintendo’s latest console, the Wii U. The main difference here is that the Wii U obviously comes with the Gamepad, the PS3 and Vita are sold separately, which raises a couple questions: 1) How many developers will really invest in this feature, if only a small portion of their audience will even use it? and 2) What kind of Vita-specific interaction could you expect from your normally PS3-only games?

To the first question, this is my biggest concern. It seems like games on the Wii U are going to be developed from the ground up with this interaction, Sony’s Cross-Controller will likely remain an afterthought. For example, the first game to get this feature is Little BigPlanet 2. LBP 2 is a great game, don’t get me wrong, but it also released almost two full years ago. Instead of offering this feature to, I don’t know, the new Madden which could really benefit from drawing audibles and whatnot on the Vita screen, they went with a game almost two years old. However, this game does make sense, especially given how great the wonderful LBP Vita works on the handheld. Hopefully this feature sees a lot of love down the road as there is most definitely potential here. I am excited to see where they take this feature in the future.

Secondly, what kind of features can we expect? Well, based off of the announcement that it will come to LBP2 first, they shed a bit of light on the DLC that will enable this feature:

  • It will cost you about $5
  • It will be available on December 18th, 2012
  • The DLC features all-new content designed to utilize the Vita
  • Multiplayer only requires one of the players to use the Cross-Controller feature
  • Users will have access to creating levels using these new features

What do you think of this news? Are you excited to see how it turns out, or does it seem a bit too tacked on and like an attempt to steal some of the dual screen craze from Nintendo? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Note: If you’re reading this Sony, I want you to develop an efficient and effective way to stream (or directly display via some type of cable) PS3 content onto my Vita screen and let me use the Vita as the controller as well. If you found a way to do this, it would be not only amazing, but a direct answer to one of the Wii U’s most appealing features.

Source: PS Blog

About the author

David Jagneaux

I am The Dean (Editor-in-Chief) of PlayStation University. As a lifelong lover of both playing games and communicating, I knew that gaming journalism was the perfect fit. Over the years I have honed these skills in order to distinguish myself as an ambitious and creative writer passionate about gaming and the games industry.

Readers Comments (3)

  1. its a wonderful idea, and an apealling price
    also David, if you would play more lbp2 you wouldn’t question the games life-line, lbp2 is a game that gets better by the day,
    unlike some other generic franchises that require a sequel ewery year, to stay relevant

    • Hey Reigen, thanks for the comment! I have played quite a bit of LBP2, I just meant it will be great to see this feature employed in a newer release is all. I don’t think many people would buy a Vita, or this game, to try out this feature. The market is pretty tapped so far, even though people are definitely still playing it. It’s a good testing ground though, definitely. So I’m excited to see where it develops from here!

      • i get what you mean
        but lbp is a very special case
        it does not need a regular sequel because in a way, its community is the game developer
        but for guys like me who already have a ps3 and a vita, its a win-win scenario, cuz for just 5$ you get a wii-U that dosen`t suck,

        and if someone dosen`t have a vita he should get one and ps plus, than the console basically pays for itself and than some

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