The two USB ports on the back of the Nintendo Wii don't get a whole lot of love, but that might be changing sometime in the near future. According to PC World, a recent posting on Nintendo's job board calls for a Software/Hardware Tester specializing in creating and executing "a test plan for Wii's USB devices."
We already know that Rock Band on the Wii will utilize a USB hub for its peripherals, but the job posting suggests even more USB devices might be enroute. These could include USB keyboards for future online games, or possibly even an eventual external storage solution (though Nintendo's recent disparaging comments on the matter make this unlikely).
Some may think Rock Band's Fender Stratocaster-inspired guitar is the sexiest thing in that $200 box [correction: $170 box!], but they're forgetting about the USB hub that Xbox 360 players will be using to plug in all those wired instruments. We have to admit, we got a little hot and bothered when we first spied the above picture of the sleek, stylishly-designed four-port hub.
1UP has even more naughty, gratuitous shots of this bad boy, and baby oh baby, they are smoking. We just can't wait until we get to fondle that hot piece of tech for ourselves come Nov. 20. *Drool*
Update: We just noticed that this hub seems to require external power from an A/C adapter wall unit. Significantly less sexy ...
The latest Wii system update is just the gift that keeps on giving -- we're still finding new, unannounced features included in the downloadable update. Case in point, you can now plug a USB keyboard into those vestigial USB slots in the back of the system for easier text input in some situations.
The support is far from universal -- while you can use the keyboard to type out message board messages, you can't use it to enter a name for you Mii, suggest a poll question on the Everybody Votes Channel or, most importantly, fill in web addresses and forms on the Internet Channel. The Wii Shop Channel, oddly enough, does support the keyboard for typing in search terms, and it was the only channel to receive a significant overhaul in the latest system update. Could more expansive keyboard support be on the way? You'll know as soon as we do.
You young whippersnappers today have it so easy. Hard drives... downloadable content... power buttons right on your the wireless controller! Back in my day you actually had to get up and put a cartridge in the system when you wanted a new game. Of course, that's not so easy for me anymore, what with the rheumatism and all. And don't get me started on blowing in the dang things ...
What's that? You say there's a new flash cart that lets you store multiple NES games on a single cartridge? You say you can put hundreds of ROMs on a standard CompactFlash card and play them through the standard NES hardware? You say my days of getting up to put in Clu Clu Land are over?
We'll see about that. I'll just adjust the old InterWeb browser and ... $135! Do ya think, I'm made of money? Back in my day $135 would buy you a brand new Cadillac sedan with enough left over for a fancy dinner at Roxy's. Why even today I could use that money to buy 57 27 [update: us old folks make typos too] legally downloaded NES games for my Wii. Stop wasting my time.
If you've got any plans to turn your Apple TV into a set-top emulation station, you're going to want to make sure you've got the right controller for the job. For playing classic NES games, there's really nothing better than the Emmy award winning NES gamepad (sorry Classic Controller). You could either follow our very own how-to guide to make your own USB-enabled NES pad, you could buy a USB adapter to retrofit your existing pad, or you could just plunk down the cash in exchange for the convenience of having it done for you. Try Phreque.com's $33 option, pairing a new USB conversion module with a used (we call that classic around these parts) NES pad.
The internet speculation machine has been gearing up of late over a recent press release announcing that Japanese middleware provider eSol has been selected to provide its "'PrUSB/Host' USB host stack" for use in the Wii. How to interpret this inscrutable piece of techspeak? Well, the release goes on to state that PrUSB/Host provides "optional Mass Storage class driver enables using USB flash memory, other mass storage device and digital camera as the external storage."
Many sites (including our buddies at Engadget and Wii Fanboy) have used this announcement to speculate that Nintendo might be planning to announce USB mass storage support for the Wii in the near future. GamingTarget went so far as to say that USB storage on the Wii "looks like it will finally become a reality." Nintendojo hedged its bets a little more, saying, "It's not quite an official announcement of expanded storage possibilities for Wii just yet, but Nintendo now has the potential for such a statement."
The only problem is, the Wii has always had this functionality, and Nintendo has always had the potential to make such a statement. Check out this copyright notice found on the inside of the Wii's System Setup Operations Manual (from November, 2006):
"This product contains PrFile(r)2 FAT file system, PRmail client library and PrUSB/Host USB host stack of eSol Co. Ltd."
That's right ... this days old press release is announcing a feature that was already in the Wii nearly six months ago. ESol isn't announcing a new business deal or a new feature for the Wii -- it's simply trumping up an existing relationship in light of the Wii's recent success.
We've contacted Nintendo for an official comment but, based on the evidence, we don't think there's reason to believe Nintendo has changed its current position that this is something they "could" explore in the future.
It looks like Microsoft might have a heart and will possibly be including a data-retention cable with the new and improved, back-in-black Xbox 360 model. Ars Technica has a line on a secret source who lets it slip that Microsoft had sent a new SKU for the upgraded unit, which specifies that this cable will be included.
Additionally, the same source says that the cable will be included with the standalone 120GB HDD as well, which hasn't officially been announced yet. Will the cable and the HDD be available in both black and white? We don't want to mess up our precious gaming color scheme. We might see a rise of third-party HDD stickers and skins that'll let you dress that Xbox up in your love.
This will be a huge incentive towards getting existing Xbox owners to either upgrade their unit to the "Elite" model, or to buy the new drive, because no one wants to lose all their picture packs, arcade games, and episodes of Battlestar Galactica. We're just happy to know what we probably won't have to download that Eragon demo again. However, this sounds like one of those "use it once and you're done" items that'll soon be collecting dust in the back of a drawer somewhere, so look for 'em on eBay not long afterwards.
Joystiq reader Zach has just spent countless hours, amounts of sweat, and possibly even ounces of blood by mashing up a Nintendo Entertainment System with a portable DVD player. The end result is a pretty swanky DVD player that even has a controller hooked up to it via USB to serve as the remote. It also plays nice with his PlayStation Portable, making this a completely bizarro world where Sony and Nintendo work things out and just get along.
Check out his Flickr album of the whole project here, and then swing by and check out the video of the whole thing if you're so inclined. It's an impressive amount of work and looks pretty darn cool. He even has the original Nintendo bag as a little carrying case for it! In fact, if these were for sale, we'd buy a couple of 'em. This may have just inspired us to dig the old NES out of the garage and give it a whirl. One day the sweet day will come when someone mods a PS3 into one of these things
"Where are the Wii-chargeable battery packs?" we asked last week. This week, we have the answer: "There they are!" That is, they can be reserved in Japan as of today, for eventual delivery before the end of February, and we have Japanese gizmo manufacturer Thanko to thank-o.
Thanko's lithium-ion battery and USB charge cradle, which can draw power from one of the Wii's USB ports, are retailing in Japan at ¥3,480 (US$29) per set or at the slightly discounted rate of ¥6,480 (US$54) for two sets. A three-and-a-half hour charge will, according to Thanko's press release, keep a Wii Remote powered for 25 hours. Just think how many times you could complete Kororinpa in that time...
IGN gives a thumbs-up to the forthcoming Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows, enabling 360-compatible wireless devices for PC use. The dongle offers simultaneous synceration for up to four wireless controllers and four (wireless) headsets. The Wireless Racing Wheel is also supported, along with all future wireless Microsoft offerings.
Despite what the image might imply, the receiver is wired, connecting via USB. Retail units will ship later this month for $20 -- no surprise there.
Wired's Game|Life scored a rare PlayStation 3 memory card adapter (for PS1 and PS2 game saves) and found the subsequent transfer process to be "kludgy" -- the adapter gets the job done, but clumsily.
Game|Life faults the device for its rather steep price ($14.99), given that the adapter could very well be used only once (if you possess just a single memory card). But even if you've amassed a collection of cards, you'll be frustrated by the adapter's insistence upon creating a new "Virtual Memory Card" directory on the PS3's hard drive for each card. That is, the system is not intuitive enough to combine and separate your PS1 and PS2 saves into two, easy to navigate categories. In addition, the entire contents of a card must first be copied to the HDD, and then users can single out specific game saves for permanent storage or deletion. Sounds like there's a new PS3 annoyance to add to the list...
Microsoft's been doing the talking, Sony is doing the walking. PlayStation 3 is the console for those that value choice. From a standard three-pronged power cord to a standard hard drive bay, Sony's hardware is compatible with a vast range of products, including additional operating systems (e.g., Linux).
Already own a USB headset? What about a web cam? As Microsoft forces us to buy into -- often inferior -- proprietary devices, Sony welcomes us to use those peripherals we might already have lying around. Bravo!
Blue Orb's Texter transforms the Xbox 360's thumbsticks into a makeshift keyboard -- and comes with decals. The device plugs in between the console and gamepad, and registers as a USB keyboard. A simple double-click of the left thumbstick activates Texter, allowing users to bypass Xbox 360's clunky on-screen keyboard. But is Texter any more efficient?
Unless you take the time to memorize the character inputs (see diagram above), we're not convinced Texter warrants a purchase. But given the limits of a controller, we should give Blue Orb points for being clever. (up-right, left) (right, up) (up-right, up) (right, up-right) (RB) (left, right) (RB) (left, left) (up-left, up-left) (up, up-right) (right, left) (right, left)?
IGN decided to hook up an iPod to their shiny new PS3 today, only to find out that Sony hasn't let the two be playmates just yet. The PS3 will mount the iPod, but none of the audio, video, or photo files on the iPod will show up. They could transfer music to a new directory that they created on the iPod, but that's just using it like any other USB storage device.
It's no secret that Sony isn't fond of the success of Apple's little mp3 player, even going as far as calling podcasts "RSS channels" just so they don't have to use the word "pod" in press materials. Even Microsoft released a free download for the Xbox 360 that let you hook up your iPod and stream music, will Sony follow suit? The PlayStation Portable they hooked up worked just fine, so it's time to spread the love to some other usb devices. If you have a ton of music on your iPod that you want to transfer to your PS3, and if you're lucky enough to get one, you'll have to either wait for an update or start burning a lot of files.
Come on Sony, let's play nice with the other kids on the block.
IGN has updated the story with the following: NOTE: In our initial play-test of the PS3, we reported that the multimedia playback feature was hampered by directory structure limitations. However, we have since been informed of a full browsing function for all storage devices -- indeed, you CAN browse media that's not native to the PS3's normal directory structure. Please check this updated news article for the latest update on the multimedia features.
According to their own updated article, "It's a hidden option that some may not notice at first, and sorting through folders isn't exactly easy." So, it'll work in a pinch, but where's the full-featured device browsing? We want our $600 console to do things like this out of the box, not with a workaround or an update that isn't out yet.
We're live at BlizzCon 2008: Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, WotLK and silly people in costumes galore!
Hands-on with the newly-unveiled Diablo 3 Wizard class!
Hands-on with the New Xbox Experience, launching November 19!
We're live at the Tokyo Game Show 2008, yatta!
Hide your wallets! New games this month: October Edition
Listen to the Joystiq podcast (because your ears can't read)
Posts with tag USB
It looks like Microsoft might have a heart and will possibly be including a data-retention cable with the new and improved, back-in-black Xbox 360 model. Ars Technica has a line on a secret source who lets it slip that Microsoft had sent a new SKU for the upgraded unit, which specifies that this cable will be included.
It may not be the one you were waiting for, but today's PlayStation 3 firmware v1.54 update brings additional video-camera support to the console:
IGN gives a thumbs-up to the forthcoming Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows, enabling 360-compatible wireless devices for PC use. The dongle offers simultaneous synceration for up to four wireless controllers and four (wireless) headsets. The Wireless Racing Wheel is also supported, along with all future wireless Microsoft offerings.
Wired's Game|Life scored a rare PlayStation 3 memory card adapter (for PS1 and PS2 game saves) and found the subsequent transfer process to be "kludgy" -- the adapter gets the job done, but clumsily.
Microsoft's been doing the talking, Sony is doing the walking. PlayStation 3 is the console for those that value choice. From a standard three-pronged power cord to a standard hard drive bay, Sony's hardware is compatible with a vast range of products, including additional operating systems (e.g., Linux).
IGN decided to hook up an iPod to their shiny new PS3 today, only to find out that Sony hasn't let the two be playmates just yet. The PS3 will mount the iPod, but none of the audio, video, or photo files on the iPod will show up. They could transfer music to a new directory that they created on the iPod, but that's just using it like any other USB storage device. 
