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| Wireless N+ Router |
Console connectivity:
Consoles and games technologies have always needed to use a form of connectivity to connect devices external to the console itself and to connect it to the Internet via wireless or wired connection. I will be looking at these types of connectivity addressing the ways in which the Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 connect their devices and how they can connect to the Internet whether it be through a local connection or a wide area network they are connecting through.
Controller Connectivity:
Controllers connect through ports which are situated on the consoles motherboard, they are activated when a controller is connected either by a USB cable or wireless, once connected they are able to use the features on the console. Most consoles support up to 4 controllers to be connected as anymore would be riddled pointless as games only support 4 way controller configurations for cooperative play in games. Most consoles built today have wireless built into the console & controllers meaning they can be connected via radio waves within a certain distance, for example a controller & console will have a radio button, when these are pressed the controller will sync with the console and be allocated a port on the console, if no controllers are currently connected this would be port 1 (player 1). However in the circumstances of a console having a wired controller connected and a wireless controller synced the wired controller will always be allocated player one, as the port can be allocated quicker.
Once the controllers are connected they allow access to the software on the console giving them access to scroll through menus/options and games by using the controller.
When PlayStation designed their console they took on the means of implementing blue tooth into their infrastructure meaning that any blue tooth device could be connected to the system. This meant that third party headsets and controllers could be used with the console as long as they used the same configuration & style as the PS controllers & peripherals.
Online & Internet Connectivity:
Consoles have adapted online technology as a way to enhance gameplay & experiences for gamers by adding a way of players being able to play with each other whether it be together or against, the technology has allowed for a huge advancement & development into games technologies. However to allow this to happen, players need to ensure they have a dedicated high speed broadband connection in their home on a LAN. This will allow them to connect their console to the network & gain access to exclusive online content that consoles provide. For example when they have connected to the Internet via the console they can then gain access to more features on games and on the console.
They're many ways in which a user can connect to the Internet, they can do this through these means;
- Wireless
- Wired
- GPRS (General Packet Service Protocol)
GPRS is most commonly used for hand held devices to connect to the Internet, however due to its slow downloading and uploading speeds its not a preferably method of connection. This means that handhelds either need to connect to a 3G or 4G hotspot or use a WAP (Wireless access Point) to get their device connected. GPRS is too slow to keep up with a game dedicated connection meaning that if they were to play with other people online they would have trouble keeping the connection up, and may disconnect, a lot.
