PS3 to get amBX technology

By Ellie Gibson Published 5 February, 2009

Sony signs new licensing deal.

Sony has signed a deal that will see PS3 games working with amBX technology in the future.

Billed as an "ambient experiences technology", amBX was originally developed in the UK by Philips Research. Special peripherals are used to create "real-world sensory experiences" by enhancing your gaming with light, colour, rumble and air flow.

The technology was developed with the PC in mind, but now Sony Computer Entertainment has now signed a tools and middleware licensing agreement for PS3.

"This is a major milestone in the development of amBX as a ubiquitous standard for entertainment sensory experiences," said amBX's Jo Cooke. "The agreement with SCEI will allow us to bring amazing light, rumble, sound and air movement experiences to game users."

Sony has yet to name the first games to get the amBX treatment.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • Aggesan #1 3 years ago

    I don't get it. What does it actually do?

  • bad09 #2 3 years ago

    I've seen this on the telly, do people actually buy it then?

  • teabagger #3 3 years ago

    Not convinced by this at all. I can kinda see how it might add to the experience, but really... do I want four massive lights and whatever else by the TV? Also, seems like it's sensitive to where you have your TV or monitor mounted to get the best out of the ambient lighting. How many people have a large white backdrop like in the demo (on their website).

    Anyway, the missus wouldn't allow it.

    P.S If you fancy a laugh, check out the 'What gamers think' video. Talk about stereotypes...

    (edit)
    ...go to http://www.ambx.com/ then click 'Watch amBX now`.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/09 @ 08:58

  • Les #4 3 years ago

    "I've seen this on the telly, do people actually buy it then?"

    Not yet probably, but this might be another step towards more general adoption.

  • teabagger #5 3 years ago

    Unless it's packaged as part of a core system (in a generation or two) and is much less intrusive, then I can't see this being anything other than a niche item.

  • Dizzy #6 3 years ago

    Gives new meaning to "blowing air up your...." ;)

  • Widge #7 3 years ago

    I've got an ambilight Phillips TV. You think "what can this really add" when you hear about it on paper, but once you have it in action in your front room, you can never go back!

    When we got the TV, I was checking out the SD quality by watching some thing on BBC1 about the birth of the planet. On the right of the screen was a big firey Earth, the left had a watery scene.... projecting out the right of my TV was a perfectly matching orange and blue from the left. Eye wateringly good.

    Oh yeah, anyway, Sony news article, some feature, Sony shit.

  • Miths #8 3 years ago

    I just watched the demo videos, and much to my surprise I actually think that looks pretty damn cool. Parts of the Crysis video in particular had some really neat lighting effects.

    I could definitely see myself buying a set if a fair amount of future major PS3 releases are going to support it.

  • Widge #9 3 years ago

    Oh and ambilight can be set to be as intrusive or as subtle as you like if that sort of thing concerns you.

    Positioning of my TV is in the corner of my front room so its not flat against the wall and my walls are a nice minty colour. So having WiiWhite apartments not necessary to get the best out of this.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/09 @ 09:27

  • Ryze #10 3 years ago

    More bells and whistles, eh?

    It's a nice technology to use with your GAMES, though.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/09 @ 09:32

  • Widge #11 3 years ago

    omg! its the cliche attack!

  • mingster #12 3 years ago

    is it not just a fan that blows air in your face and a subwoofer for rumble?

  • merkdot #13 3 years ago

    lol

  • RockIsSponge #14 3 years ago

    Wow. I can get a fan to blow or a light to come on while I'm playing a game... but I STILL can't invite friends in online games, and PSN hardly works most of the time... come on Sony, get your priorities sorted!

  • zedzee #15 3 years ago

    Sounds like desperation on the part of Sony, in my opinion.

    Cutting out backwards compatibility didn't work. Keeping the PS3 as the most expensive console didn't work. Haemorrhaging all those exclusives didn't work.

    This will not work either.

  • Dizzy #16 3 years ago

    Widge... ambilight is not the same as amBX.

    Ambilight is pretty cool IMHO (and does not require and SDK support anyway), amBX is utter tosh.
    Edited by 2 at 05/02/09 @ 10:15

  • hiddenranbir #17 3 years ago

    Sony getting desperate.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #18 3 years ago

    @hiddenranbir

    Microsoft just added party chat support, they must be getting desperate!

    Grow up.

  • crispyduckman #19 3 years ago

    Persumably amBX pay Sony for this licence? If so, then it's an additional income stream for Sony. I doubt they give a crap whether it's actually a product anyone will use.

  • InsoFox #20 3 years ago

    @crispyduckman

    Uh... why would ambx pay Sony, for Sony to license their technology? O_o

  • moggsy #21 3 years ago

    I can see how the this would work on a desktop but how will this work in a large living room - the fans especially?

  • Widge #22 3 years ago

    sounds like ambilight 'plus bits' then!

  • wayneh #23 3 years ago

    Oh dear. Do sony really think people are going to buy this.

  • teabagger #24 3 years ago

    @ InsoFox.

    Lots of reasons. If they're currently stuck in the PC market, which isn't huge and doesn't have mass market/widespread appeal then moving into the console market is an obvious way to try and push their product into more mainstream channels. Also there is the possibility of integrating tech into future consoles.

    I'm not saying that *is* the case. I'm merely pointing out that it's not anywhere near as one sided as you suggest.

  • layleeloo #25 3 years ago

    Have have this system for my PC and I can say, however gimicky it may seem, it is actually really cool! I would not say it makes a game better, it just adds a nice different element to it. As someone else mentioned though, I dont know how it would work in a large living room etc. I have it all on and around my PC desk running a 27" monitor and its grea for that circumstance, but I dont know how it would work AS well on my PS3. I wonder if my current unit will be compatible with my PS3

  • hiddenranbir #26 3 years ago

    @GamesProgrammer

    Weak analogy.

  • aphexstwin #27 3 years ago

    i tried it in a gamestation but that was enclosed, but it was freaky to have the keyboard wrist support rumble and wind blowing in my face. as before, cant see it working in my front room, its enough trying to stash the wiring for 5.1 never mind strategically positioning fans about too.

    tho, i really would love to see how sony are desperate. please someone explain to me how a company wishing to add immersion to games is desperate. philips invented it, omg they must be desperate. what would the comments be if this was for the wii or the 360? grow up and stop trying to piss people off fantards

  • mkreku #28 3 years ago

    I have a (female) friend who won a system like this. I also thought it would be rubbish, but it's actually kind of neat.

  • hiddenranbir #29 3 years ago

    They are chasing the leaders. If you're not desperate in that position, you won't ever catch up.

  • Ducklord #30 3 years ago

    I just can't believe the Xbots in here. Sony is getting desperate, because they're trying to do something new? Like others have said, what would the feedback be like if a rival system was doing this? Jesus, at leats wait until the technology is fully incorporated before coming out with your fanboy statements.

  • MeBrains #31 3 years ago

    ambilight is fantastic. if ever I get to buying a flat screen, chances are high that it'll be ambilight.

    ambx is a further continuation of that and should bring other senses to the mix - have not seen that yet though, but it sounds quite okay. I wonder about the price though.

    unbelievable how sony's actions have always been so bashed down. we should be applauding them! they invented a totally new processor for us, they gave us a complete package, free online play, great exclusive games and more to come and now this?

    what is wrong with that?

    ms copied a processor, copied mii's but was unable to provide a stable system with almost 2/3's of the initial batch failing. they should get flack, methinks...

  • BBIAJ #32 3 years ago

    Copied Miis lol!

  • NinjaWilliams #33 3 years ago

    I'm awaiting for the 'minority report' control device thingy - in PS4-D/PS4D it is then! :p

  • Ghettomurph #34 3 years ago

    These TVs are really nice, seen a 42" Philips in Comet a few weeks ago and Widge is right...they do look good. But who the hell is going to pay £4k for a 42" telly just because it lights up the walls around the screen with similar colours?

    The only place I've ever seen one is on display on shop floors...and they first announced them back in 2005...and they cost around the 4 grand mark now...and the world is screwed financially.

    What a load of bollocks.

  • FromTheLandUnknown #35 3 years ago

    @teabagger
    The comment of my missus on this article was exactly that: she wouldn't allow it. We both laughed, when we read your post. And like some here said, we will have additional lights, sounds, rumbles and fans around our games, but still we will not be able to open or bust doors, jump over waist high obstacles, or kill someone with a shot in the head.
    I saw Phillips ambilight at my friends house, and liked it very much, but would like to have other things in games sorted first, before such or similar peripherals.
    No fan blowing in your head will make up for a bad game design and concept (oh and @RockIsSponge, +10 to you too!).
    Edited by 1 at 07/02/09 @ 22:10

  • Protex #36 3 years ago

    I've got an amBX Premium Kit for my PC and for most of the fully-enabled games it rocks (aside from over sensitive rumble pad on occasion). On the PS3 side of things, an interesting move by Sony but I think it will take time for either enabled-games to emerge or for them to deliver their own peripheral kit specifically for the PS3. Certainly a step in the right direction and good news for the team at amBX and will be good to do a comparison; PC vs. PS3.