You may remember me talking a lot about Microvision’s SHOWWX Pico Projector earlier this year when I presented them as a finalist for Last Gadget Standing at CES 2010 (they ended up winning). The SHOWWX is the first portable projector to use friggin’ lasers to shoot an image out instead of light bulbs. When I first started covering the device, we had a lot of conversations in Icrontic staff chat about the potential for this technology. Of course, at the time, all we could envision were creative ways to troll people (projecting awkward movies onto public bathroom ceilings? Showing porn on the back of an airplane seat?), but some more down-to-earth people took it a step further and found a truly practical use for the tech: Pack it into a game controller.
Now, imagine for a moment that you have a handheld controller pointed at a wall, and you turn the controller to point to your left: the image goes with you.
This is clearly future tech, as we don’t currently have a way to pipe video content to a controller, nor do we have rooms that are built for this sort of gaming, but that’s not stopping Microvision from producing a 720p wireless prototype demo at the Intel Extreme Masters in Shanghai today.
At the IEM event, attendees will be able to play Capcom’s Lost Planet: Extreme Condition–Colonies Edition in “Immersive 360 degrees“.
From the press release:
Mounted directly on top of the hand-held weapon game controller, the 720p prototype projects an immersive 360-degree experience. Unique to the company’s PicoP® technology is the ability to project a distortion-free image on nearly any flat or curved surface. Consequently, the game-play moves along with the gamer and reflects the character’s position in three-dimensional space.
Having met with the team behind the SHOWWX, I can tell you firsthand that these guys and gals are incredibly enthusiastic about this technology and potential uses for it. I have to admit that gaming never crossed my mind, but the fact that they’re working with Intel and Capcom prove one thing: some big companies are keeping a close eye on this tech. I guess that means we should, too.
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