PlayStation Move will offer limited four player support

So you do your research, you read up on everything important about the PS3's new Move controller, and you consider yourself well prepared for a future of wild merrymaking and multiplayer gaming parties. And then you find out you can't use four full sets of controllers with your console. As it turns out, the PS3's Bluetooth module is only fit to address up to seven wireless devices at a time, which poses something of a puzzler when you consider that you need a pair of Move controllers (or a Move plus a sub-controller) to get your money's worth and four times two is, well, a number greater than seven. Perturbed by this, Gizmodo contacted Sony for an official response and the news gets even worse:

"Four PlayStation Move controllers can connect to a PS3 at one time (or two PlayStation Move Controllers and 2 PlayStation Move sub-controllers)."

That basically means you can have the full Move experience with only one friend, or you can share out the wands and have that tiny bit less fun with a quartet. Not a problem for the misanthropes out there -- or most people really -- but an important limitation to be aware of, nonetheless.

[ZeroHour682 Posted Mar 12th 2010 10:18AM]

When I had a wii. It was very common for me to have 4 players yet most if not all 4 player games DONT use the numchuck. At most I only ever had/needed 2 wiimotes+ numchucks.

So I think it will be fine because you can still have 4 players (1 move each) which is normal. And or 2 players (1move+sub each OR 2moves each) Ive play nearly all the good wii games and I can't think of ONE that needs 4 wiimote+numchuck support.

[ZeroHour682 Posted Mar 12th 2010 10:21AM]

Though you could have 4 players all with wiimote+numchuck if a game dev wanted to. Ps3 not so much. Will it matter NOPE.

[Raeglatem Posted Mar 12th 2010 10:39AM]

I feel like this is something that will be solved with more USB dongles...

[DomDaMan Posted Mar 12th 2010 10:40AM]

@Hobsie
@Tes

You guys forget that the PS3 eye also includes a mic so you don't need bluetooth voice chat. I use the ps3 eye's mic rather than a bluetooth because it doesn't hurt my ear after a long play.

[dennykins Posted Mar 12th 2010 10:45AM]

Could you not just hook the "sub controller" to the Move and have them transmit on one channel just like the wii? (Or is that just too much info for one bluetooth channel) I think I can live with the two remotes being wired together if it lets me play with more people.

[Shlooky Posted Mar 12th 2010 11:16AM]

Sony can adopt a similar way to connect the sub controller to the Move controller to save on blu-tooth addresses.

[adamdavidson Posted Mar 12th 2010 12:22PM]

I think they could solve this by integrating bluetooth into a charging dock for the 4 moves + subs.

[jayleigh Posted Mar 12th 2010 12:38PM]

Lets just talk scenarios. Most Wii Causal games are developed to just use the one controller. Ps3 can still use up to 7 of those. Even pairing them up to 3 people can play at one. How many Wii games really support more than 2 at the same time. Not many. This is just an article trying to find something to complain about.

So with Natal will support like 20 people right? No. 4 people playing at the same time will be about the limit, if it does that well.

[Merikov Posted Mar 12th 2010 1:08PM]

Yea, I don't see the problem. On the Wii, you rarely ever have to have 4 full wiimotes and nun-chucks. Most 4 player games just use the Wiimote with the nun-chuck being an option.

[BAGAGT1 Posted Mar 12th 2010 2:05PM]

@Merikov While I agree with you, this serves ass a limitation to the PS3 that the Wii doesn't have. That is if a developer made a game for the Wii that did use 4 Wiimotes and 4 Nunchuks, that game couldn't be potted to the PS3 as a 4 player game.

[BAGAGT1 Posted Mar 12th 2010 2:08PM]

@BAGAGT1 Sorry,
as instead of ass
ported instead of potted.

[Seff Posted Mar 12th 2010 10:08PM]

Agreed, I don't see the issue. It certainly does have 4 player support.
In fact the only 4 player Wii games that come to mind only use the wiimote (Wii tennis, blah blah) without the chuck.

As for complaints earlier in the comments, you could easily have 2 players both with a subcontroller, both with BT headsets, and still be able to keep your BT remote paired in the 7th slot. Yeah, this is a non-issue.

[avengeryarr Posted Mar 13th 2010 3:25PM]

@ratchetnclank

I can't even begin to comprehend what you're trying to say. Try again in English please.

[xconan Posted Mar 29th 2010 10:32PM]

Can you use the PS Move with the joypad?