All eyes are currently on the E3 2012 gaming expo in Los Angeles. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have all already held keynote speeches, with new games proving to be the order of the day. Nintendo revealed more about the Wii U (including the Pro Controller), Microsoft teased its SmartGlass technology and while Sony placed its new Wonderbook augmented reality device front and center, it also quietly announced the new PlayStation Move Racing Wheel.
PlayStation Move is Sony's answer to the Wii and its motion control method. Once Nintendo proved motion control was the way to attract new gamers into the industry both Microsoft and Sony followed suit with their own systems. Microsoft introduced its full-body motion control Kinect, Sony introduced Move - very much a like-for-like attempt at bringing Wii functionality to the PS3.
The PlayStation Move Racing Wheel is a new peripheral that Sony announced on the Official PlayStation Blog rather than on stage at E3 2012. It's a steering wheel that encases the PlayStation Move wand in order to add a touch of realism to driving games. What makes this steering wheel different than others already on the market is the unique design. When the hand-grips are in the down position they'll feel like a steering wheel, but lift them up and they'll feel more like the handlebars of a motorcycle or even the controls of a light aircraft.
The Move wand sits in the middle of the Racing Wheel, which Sony says will allow for "precise motion tracking for responsive handling of your vehicle." What's unclear is whether you hold the peripheral out in front of you, rest it on your lap, or slot it into a bracket of some description. Either way the reactions have been tepid at best, especially to the US$39.99 price tag the PlayStation Move Racing Wheel will have attached when it's released later this year.
Source: Official PlayStation Blog
