Red lighting on 80GB PS3 box not a sign of rumble [update]

by Ross Miller { Jul 9th 2007 at 4:01PM }

One single red light has spurred rumors that the newly-announced 80GB PlayStation 3 has a shaking Sixaxis controller (or "shake-axis," if you will) packed into the SKU. Another clue comes from an Engadget reader who says that the Contents section of the box has "more text describing the SIXAXIS item than can be found on the 60GB box."

To us, the Home button light looks just like a reflection of the background. Or maybe it's just a cosmetic difference so you can say, "hey guys, I bought an 80GB PS3 and here's my red light Sixaxis to prove it!" ~~We've contacted Sony for more information.~~ From Dave Karraker, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications: "It is just a lighting trick. Nothing different or new about it."

Update: According to Patrick Seybold on the official PlayStation.Blog, "Just want to clarify for those wondering why the PS Button on the controller is red. That is what happens when you charge the ... 'debug' controller. It is not a sign or indication of a new/different controller with the 80GB model."

[Via Engadget, PS3 Fanboy; thanks, BulletToothTony]

Tags: sixaxis, sku, sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Yoshi @ Jul 9th 2007 4:05PM

But rumble *was* so last-gen.

Nushio @ Jul 9th 2007 4:06PM

Or maybe, just maybe, the red light has always been there?

sheppy @ Jul 9th 2007 4:23PM

A winner is you. On the current SixAxiS board, there is a strange location which looks like a place to solder a MISSING LED of some kind. It fits LED alignments however this part of the board HAS been disabled. So originally, the gem was supposed to glow red but Sony chopped that for some reason or another. So it sits on the board, unloved and unused.

Dennis @ Jul 9th 2007 4:56PM

why the fuck do you call it a SKU? freakin nerds

faceless coward @ Jul 9th 2007 4:59PM

What do you suggest they call it?

Lord Chako @ Jul 9th 2007 5:02PM

Because we work in retail...
(Target has DPCI's)

Anticrawl @ Jul 9th 2007 4:08PM

Oh no, the.. the red light.. IT'S GONNA BLOW!

Tehe, lithium-ion batteries.

T H @ Jul 9th 2007 4:10PM

I dont know.. whereas on one hand, the original PS3 promo photos all had a lit up Home button, and we all know now that it wasn't an included feature, there's the interesting fact that the SIXAXIS controller does in fact have unused LED contacts on its circuit board, presumably for this very feature- I believe some DIY projects have already used it. I would assume one of the reasons SONY left out the light was battery life? Although my PS3 controllers tend to last pleasingly long before needing to be plugged in.

If rumble is a reality, I'm a bit pissed because I'll have to replace all 4 of my controllers, but I really just hope that they worked out a) the drain on battery life that is associated with rumble, and b) the intermittent connection drops and spastic behavior the controllers sometimes exhibit, presumably due to the bluetooth connection.

BPM @ Jul 9th 2007 4:12PM

It's a good theory, except that LEDs drain VERY little power.

T H @ Jul 9th 2007 4:17PM

Well then they're just asses for not including it in the first place, I thought it was a pretty cool feature until I opened the box and it didn't happen.. I thought I was doing something wrong at first. Looks like I'll be buying new controllers... eh

Patrick @ Jul 9th 2007 7:24PM

i just wish it was blue led, then it would match the blu ray

Y @ Jul 9th 2007 4:20PM

If/when they do add rumble to the sixaxis I hope they put out some new colors as well if only so when i buy the new rumbling ones I can differentiate them from my old, non-rumbling ones.

BulletToothTony @ Jul 9th 2007 4:19PM

Patrick Seybold said this in the playstation.blog:

"Just want to clarify for those wondering why the PS Button on the controller is red. That is what happens when you charge the [UPDATED-edit] “debug” controller. It is not a sign or indication of a new/different controller with the 80GB model."

so even thou he may be lying.. this rumor has been crushed by now..

please people don't start this crap again

Lord Chako @ Jul 9th 2007 4:22PM

SIXAXIS SHOXOHS

or

SHOXOHS SIXAXIS

(SHOXOHS for short)

You heard it here first...

Digi Smalls @ Jul 9th 2007 4:37PM

wouldn't SIXAXIS ELITE be fairly appropriate?

Lord Chako @ Jul 9th 2007 4:59PM

No, because it has to be SONY branded.

You know, like "liv", "Playstation", "Walkman", "Blu-Ray", "mylo", "Discman", "Dual Shock", "clie", "Memory Stix", "Pro Duo", "SXRD", "Trinitron", "SIXAXIS", "Bravia", "Cyber-shot".

The list goes on...

rom @ Jul 9th 2007 4:22PM

Sony is getting a little predictable. Whenever you hear them criticize something, all that means is that their about to go ahead and implement it. Different model consoles..check, built in hard drives...check, Retro games for sale on their network...check, Rumble controllers...check. That's just at the top of my head, anybody got any others?

Matt B @ Jul 9th 2007 4:22PM

I thought they were using Touchsense or something similarly named instead of just rumble. Touchsense only rumbles specific areas of the controller instead of the whole controller thus providing more immersion and greater battery life. So it's not really just rumble. There was an article about it a week or 2 ago here or PS3fanboy.

Digi Smalls @ Jul 9th 2007 4:39PM

fan of rumble now Matt B?

let me guess. TouchSense is what was missing.

robert @ Jul 9th 2007 4:22PM

sony just wants to get in on all the red light action microsoft has been dominating with this generation.

diec @ Jul 9th 2007 4:25PM

Red SixAxis light does NOT mean rumble
http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?sectionId=1006&articleId=20070709151558875009&releaseId=20060314132311609002

Matt B @ Jul 9th 2007 4:24PM

Found it:

http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2007/07/04/rumor-rumbling-sixaxis-gains-touch-sensitivity-little-added-co/

Inch75Vox @ Jul 9th 2007 4:27PM

It would be nice if it had rumble, and a $200.00 mail in rebate. Then I'd be in.

Digi Smalls @ Jul 9th 2007 4:33PM

doesn't change the fact that a new Sony controller with rumble is coming sooner or later.

whether they include it in this batch of redesigned Emotion Engine-less PS3s or not, it still means us early adopters who paid $600 for our PS3s only a few months ago will have to replace every one of our controllers as well.

quite objectively, lame.

.

Vidikron @ Jul 9th 2007 5:12PM

Such is the lot of early adopters. OTOH, you have hardware BC.

ssuk @ Jul 9th 2007 4:49PM

"debug" controler... Makes no sense, "debug" THE controler makes sense.

Even then, if you 'debugged' the controler, there's no red LED there to light up (debugging would be to see data from the controler, like the Y or X possitions of the tilt, record button presses, etc), so either it's an old stock photo, a poor photoshop on the box or there are new controlers with the 80GB PS3 (which will piss everyone but current adopters off), but he lies if he says that happens when you debug a current PS3 controler.