Only two Move and SC pairs supported

By Oli Welsh Published 11 March, 2010

Or four Move controllers on their own.

Sony has clarified that, although four of the Move wand controllers can be used at a time, the PS3 motion control system only supports two Move controllers and two of the offhand "sub-controllers" at once.

There's a cap of four controllers total, explained Justin Cooney, a senior account manager for developer support at Sony Computer Entertainment America, in a GDC session.

That includes the nunchuck-style wireless offhand controllers. "I always think of it as the left side of a Sixaxis," Cooney said,

Although Cooney didn't discuss details, the restriction is likely due to the fact the Move sub-controller uses Bluetooth to connect wirelessly and independently with the PS3.

This is unlike Nintendo's system, whereby the wired nunchuck sends information back over the same wireless connection as the Wii remote.

Sony is about to make its main presentation of the Move to developers at GDC - we'll let you know if there are further details.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Psychotext #1 2 years ago

    That's killed Raving Rabbids dead then. (Shut up, it's good fun when you're drunk and there's four of you flailing wildly!)

    That said... I can only imagine how much four wands and four nunchucks would cost.

  • Razz #2 2 years ago

    Ah, I can see this causing some issues in the future.

  • CaptainQuint #3 2 years ago

    Damn, I was just about to pre-order as well. Thanks for clarifying, EG.

  • solidSnake04 #4 2 years ago

    should support 3 pairs right ??? the ps3 supports 7 bluetooth connection i think

  • devilmyarse #5 2 years ago

    Doh! Epic fail on Sony's part, if they're going to rip off their competitors they should at least make it better on all accounts. Sounds like another 'me too', just like they copied Nintendo's N64 analogue with the analogue controller, Nintendo rumble pack with dual shock, Dreamcast VMU with Pocketstation. Can we have just a tiny little bit of innovation Sony? Or are you happy to take a back seat and be last to market with everything?

  • Anufea #6 2 years ago

    They should have connected move and sub controller with a cable... *runs*

  • the_dudefather #7 2 years ago

    the VC 4000 beat Nintendo to the Analogue stick punch by nearly 20 years though ;)

  • Bander #8 2 years ago

    What solidSnake04 said. When did the 7 connections drop to 4?

  • coolbritannia #9 2 years ago

    i would have thought 7 bluetooth controller connections, 2 hdmi ports and 2 ethernet ports would have equalled more than 2 motion controllers.

  • devilmyarse #10 2 years ago

    look at the Sony fanboys voting me down. Haha.

  • TheWretched #11 2 years ago

    You DO know the pocketstation was for the PS1 and the Dreamcast came later?

    And, analogue sticks were mighty real, even in Amiga times and before, like the Dudefather said...

    And... rumble... just reread those stories on wikipedia.

  • Lusterpurge #12 2 years ago

    Why didn't they just have a wireless connection between the nunchuck and main remote?

  • devilmyarse #13 2 years ago

    No, the Pocketstation came out in JP 1999, the Dreamcast came out in JP 1998. Get your facts straight. I know there was other analogue sticks before the N64, however the N64 was the most popular and was the reason Sony did a 'me too'.

  • Eraysor #14 2 years ago

    Perhaps they've realised that once you have bought one set you'd be insane to buy any more.

  • alcides #15 2 years ago

    I'll think of the sub-mote as the right side of the Sixaxis, thank yiou.

    Lefties, 1, 2, SWITCH!!!

  • rprince #16 2 years ago

    *fweeeeeeeeeehhhhh bckrshhhhhh*


    That's the sound of PSM crashing and burning. What the f*&^ is the point of releasing a party game peripheral that can only support two people at once? It's diabolical. Seriously, it's rubbish. I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt up until this, but what is the point?

  • rprince #17 2 years ago

    Are you surprised? Sony are the MS of the console world? It makes business sense to be second to market! If someone else is first, they make the mistakes and you learn from them by being second.

  • brod #18 2 years ago

    Surely they could release a USB bluetooth dongle to allow for more?

  • cheekyjay #19 2 years ago

    Given that until yesterday there was no officially announced Sub Controller (and it was most probably an afterthought) it makes sense that you can only run 4 wands at once (or two if you are required to use the Sub with each as well). Technically it is a system that CAN support 4 people at once, however the fact that clearly some games (if not a LOT) will be two handed affairs (whether with two wands or the wand / sub combo) makes this afterthought suddenly seem like an oversight. How difficult would it be to include a USB port in the base of each wand / sub and optional cable, so that if the max is reached the two can run from one tethered source as the Wii does, or simply be plugged into one of the console's USB sockets.

    My main gripe with this setup though, as this issue only helps to demonstrate, is why the sub controller is needed at all. Surely if they'd simply added a thumbstick, pad and X and O buttons onto the front of the main wand (in the same configuration as is found on the Sub Controller), possibly with two triggers too, then you could still carry out all the same two-handed functions that the current wand / sub controller option can, but with the added bonus of only having to buy 4 items in total (four wands), not six (four wands and two sub controllers) in order to get the best out of the system. It sucks of confusing design, and retail greed.

  • kingcrowbar #20 2 years ago

    It's probably both a bluetooth issue and getting everyone in shot for the camera and being able to track 4 glow balls.

  • Shakey_Jake33 #21 2 years ago

    As others have noted, it is because Bluetooth only supports 7 devices, thus making 4x Moves+Subcontroller impossible. This is why the Wii nunchuck had to be connected to the Wii Remote. Why get rid of the 'tether' at all if it causes these kinds of problems?

  • Zomoniac #22 2 years ago

    I know there was other analogue sticks before the N64, however the N64 was the most popular and was the reason Sony did a 'me too'.

    So? The Dual Shock made dual analogue sticks popular and Nintendo OMG TOTALLY RIPPED THEM OFF with the Cube pad.

    This could go on all day. All console manufacturers have done their fair share of both innovating and ripping off. This will continue indefinitely. Get used to it.

  • superted1974 #23 2 years ago

    @kingcrowbar

    It does support 4 wands

    It doesn't support 4 wands with 4 nunchucks.

  • jonbwfc #24 2 years ago

    I think even on the Wii the number of games that support four simultaneous players is actually pretty small isn't it? The Wii Nunchuk being cabled is something Wii users have consistently complained about so I guess Sony made a decision based on that and the fact none of the other playstation controllers have been 'wired' in any way, so from a marketing/consistency perspective the subcontroller had to be wireless.

    And, to be pedantic, the PS3 will only actually support 4 DS3/sixaxis controllers now IIRC. If you have the official PS3 DVD remote that nabs a slot, if you have keyboard and/or mouse connected they nab some too so they decided to limit the number of controllers you could add to stop conflicts happening.

  • septimus #25 2 years ago

    It will barely make a difference.

    I have only ever played two player on Wii unless friends have brought their controllers over, otherwise they just cost too much to have four controllers sitting there gathering dust instead of two.

    It would be possible to add more with a firmware upgrade. The BT controller in the PS3 isn't physically limited to 7.

  • siro #26 2 years ago

    Psychotext: Raving Rabbids is awesome. Only have the TV version, but that's pure gold playing with couples. Tried playing it with only two players, but that bore the hell out of us.

  • geeza2020 #27 2 years ago

    only two pairs of moves and sub-controllers supported - at least until sony release some other piece of overpriced cheapo plastic crap that enables you to use more. Thats the corporate way!

  • DrDamn #28 2 years ago

    So come on then. Somebody give me some practical example of a game you won't be able to play which couldn't be done with four Move controllers *or* 4 standard controllers. People seem to forget that the Wiimote is the standard controller for the Wii so games like Mario Kart need to use the nunchuk. The PS3 has the option of the standard controller too. The one area where this may be a little annoying is in hot seat multiplayer games where you can't avoid having to pass the controller with more than 2 people. HArdly a bind.

  • djed #29 2 years ago

    @ #15
    Yea, let's hope Sony plays nicer with us than Nintendo did. Like, put a clause in the SDK kit license or something: LEFT HANDED OPTION MUST ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE!

    But seeing as their both Japanese companies, I don't think they even realize lefties exist...

  • Paulie_P #30 2 years ago

    Most of the 4 player wii games use the remote by itself anyway...at least from my experience. Even Mario Kart doesn't need the nunchuck.

  • icematt12 #31 2 years ago

    With my limited Wii knowledge and games, I am agreeing with #32 so far. A Wiimote and Nunchuck costs what, £60 minimum? Wouldn't want to buy 3 sets of them just to play a game with 4 players.

  • makeamazing #32 2 years ago

    I personally cant see a reason to use 4 wands and 4 nun chucks...4 wands seems enough for a party game to me... seems like a storm in a teacup. so much anger from people recently on these forums :(

  • devilmyarse #33 2 years ago

    £60 for a wiimote and nunchuk? Try £45 max, and that's even if you go to a rip-off merchant like Game or Gamestation. The combo can be had for as little as £30 if you shop around.

  • doulema #34 2 years ago

    When you aim for Wii audience with a Wiimote similar controller, you get most audience through party games and lets say they try with such hard effort to get some of the hardcore audience to get into the Move thing. Lets get back to step one with the party games since its a fact that if not 99% will be 95% of the games supporting it. How is it a party when you can only play with one friend and not 4 people total? Have they thought of the failing rate in that?

  • man.the.king #35 2 years ago

    While this is understandable, it's a serious drawback imo. What if, at some future date, some FPS happened to support split-screen MP upto (or more than) 4 players - we would be limited by the number of Controllers that support this. For example, if four of us get together and 2 of us use Move (+ SC), then the other two wouldn't be able to play at all as all the Bluetooth slots would have have been occupied.

    In my opinion, although Sony call it a Sub-Controller, they don't treat it as such. I would be interested to know if there wasn't some way they could have made the SC a slave to the Move controller itself, and let the Move itself transmit appropriate signals to the PS3/Eye?

  • Vyggo #36 2 years ago

    What I am wondering, if the subcontroller isn't a slave to the wand itself, how does it decides which sub belongs to what main?