Wiimote and PS3 get all chummy thanks to Linux magicks

Alright, let's not get too worked up here: yes, you can control your PS3 with your Wiimote, no, hell hasn't gone all icy on us yet. See, those spiffy new Bluetooth drivers cropping up for Windows and Mac OS X were bound to show up for Linux sooner or later, and since the PS3 is a certifiable Linux box with some spicy Bluetooth on top, we don't suppose it was all that much trouble getting the Wiimote up and running. Still, the sheer irony is immense, and this seems like a big step for the Wiili folks, who naturally needed working Linux drivers for the Wiimote if their Linux-on-Wii hopes are to come true. What we don't have is any detail on the hack, or a driver download, but we're sure the internets could help you out on those fronts if you're interested in replicating this.

[Via Digg]

[Will @ Dec 18th 2006 3:57PM]

This is for those of us out there who bought both a Wii AND a PS3? I say anyone who even pretends to have both must be a criminal.

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 18th 2006 4:11PM]

The Wiki with drivers(?): http://www.keshi.org/moin/moin.cgi/PS3/WiiRemote

[chedabob @ Dec 18th 2006 4:18PM]

Thats just plain wrong

[Farris @ Dec 18th 2006 4:23PM]

Careful, you don't wanna break your shiny new PS3 with your yet-to-be-returned-to-Nintendo wrist-strap-o-death!

[charles @ Dec 18th 2006 4:48PM]

HAHA, anyone else catch "the internets" in this post:-p GO GWB! lol

[Dave @ Dec 18th 2006 4:58PM]

From the just because we can department.

Now you have a partially working working input device, on a linux install that runs too slow to do anything multimedia wise because it can not access nor is optimised for the extra cores in the cell processor.

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 18th 2006 5:43PM]

You do have access to the additional cores of the Cell (besides the one reserved byt the PS3 OS.) What you don't have access to at this time is the full functionality of the RSX graphic chip.

[walk2k @ Dec 18th 2006 5:55PM]

Awesome, now all we need is a Wii emulator. PS3 probably has the horsepower to do it too!

[Cramidy @ Dec 18th 2006 7:50PM]

I can see it already... "local teen breaks new tv with Wii-mote, sues sony."

Pretty awesome concept though.

[dyinman @ Dec 18th 2006 9:42PM]

"From the just because we can department.

Now you have a partially working working input device, on a linux install that runs too slow to do anything multimedia wise because it can not access nor is optimised for the extra cores in the cell processor."

First of all, my 400mhz MythtTV (Linux) Box records in high-def... barely, but hey, it's 400mhz. Plenty capable of multimedia. I do believe it's only the graphics that it might not be able to use right quite yet, but give it a month or two. That's the beauty of a community OS.