PS3 Wireless Keypad announced for worldwide release in Holiday 2008

Sony has announced a Wireless Keyboard for PS3 with a worldwide holiday 2008 release date (November in the U.S.). This was revealed during their Press Conference for the Leipzig Games Convention 2008 show in Germany.

The PS3 Keypad is a new peripheral that works with either the Sixaxis or DualShock 3 wireless controllers. It snaps into place at the top of the controllers and is built to precisely fit the unique shape and contortions of the controllers for a natural snug.

Naturally, this will make chatting much easier. It supports text chat in PlayStation Home and includes Bluetooth functionality. It can be paired with the PS3 system by connecting the keypad using a USB cable.

The Wireless Keypad includes two shortcut buttons. One is a Communication Button and the other is a Message Box Button. The Communication Button lets you easily jump into your Friends List on the Cross Media Bar while the Message Box Button will take you directly to your Message Box during gameplay.

The Keypad also includes a cool feature that turns the keys into a touch-pad, allowing you to maneuver the pointer by simply sliding your finger along the keys, and tap to click. This will make web-browsing even easier than before.

Additionally, Sony said that more and more exclusive titles will start supporting text chat towards the end of the year, including big-name games like LittleBigPlanet.

Exact release dates for each region will be announced at a later date.

Here are the specs for the Wireless Keypad:

Wireless Keypad Product Overview
Product Name Wireless Keypad
Product Code CECHZK1JP (For Japanese market)
Product Color Black
Hardware Specification Weight : Approx 60g
Voltage: DC 3.7V
Operating Temperature:
5 degrees C ~ 35 degrees C
Built-in Bluetooth(R) Ver.2.0
Keypad Layout: QWERTY layout
Battery Specification Built-in Rechargeable Lithium-Ion
Battery
Battery Capacity: 610mAh

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