Xbox One will support up to eight controllers

[Ironman273]

Xbox One will support up to eight controllers

 

 

We've already gotten an intimate look at the Xbox One controller on multipleoccasions, but Microsoft's just snuck in some new tidbits about how the gamepad will work with its new console. Ballmer and Co. quietly disclosed on the gaming machine's official site that the gamepads have a 30-foot range, and that up to eight of them can simultaneously connect to a single One. Naturally, developers will have to account for the additional controllers before you can hop into a Halo match with seven friends on a single machine. We can't imagine that divvying up a display into eight parts will result in a terribly comfortable experience, but there are certainly other ways to include extra folks in multiplayer games.

 

Update: Shuhei Yoshida confirmed on Twitter that the PlayStation 4 will only support four controllers simultaneously -- so if you plan to game in person with more than a quartet per console, it looks like Xbox is the way to go.

 

Source: Engadget

[trooper11]

I wonder if this is thanks to them using WifiDirect instead of Bluetooth for the controllers?

[Skiver Veteran]

I know if this was part of a comparison XB1 vs PS4 then this would be a tick in Microsofts side of things but in all honesty I personally can't see this being too useful. I'm sure there will be a minority who could use this, but I do think it will be a minority. unless its a game like house of the dead when really it doesn't matter how many controllers, but then again for that you really want a gun.

 

The only part that gives me a glimmer of hope is that last part, "other ways to include extra folks in MP game". It would be interesting to see if dev's could come up with some sort of support role for additional players, kinda like the companion app for The Division.

[Fourjays Veteran]

Given that game developers have barely supported two local players this generation, supporting eight is probably a bit overkill. Last game I played which supported four (may have even supported eight or more) local players was the Crash Bandicoot party game on the PSOne.

 

I genuinely wonder whether they have specifically designed it to use eight (perhaps for future plans), or if it is simply a result of coincidence.

[Torolol]

Seriously playing FPS on single display with 8 peoples ??

I would rather to have XB1 support ethernet so i can hook up to 8 different XB1 into a LAN hub.

[2xSilverKnight]

Seriously playing FPS on single display with 8 peoples ??

I would rather to have XB1 support ethernet so i can hook up to 8 different XB1 into a LAN hub.

It's not for fps, it's for sports game mainly. Like playing NHL 14 with 8 players, easy to do.

[2xSilverKnight]

I know if this was part of a comparison XB1 vs PS4 then this would be a tick in Microsofts side of things but in all honesty I personally can't see this being too useful. I'm sure there will be a minority who could use this, but I do think it will be a minority. unless its a game like house of the dead when really it doesn't matter how many controllers, but then again for that you really want a gun.

 

The only part that gives me a glimmer of hope is that last part, "other ways to include extra folks in MP game". It would be interesting to see if dev's could come up with some sort of support role for additional players, kinda like the companion app for The Division.

Why is no one thinking of sports game ? Yes it's useful for those

[Showan]

Why is no one thinking of sports game ? Yes it's useful for those

This ^^

[astropheed Veteran]

pfft... If I have 7 people at my house I'm not going to want to play Xbox with them. That's party numbers and an excuse to intoxicate.

[madd-hatter]

pfft... If I have 7 people at my house I'm not going to want to play Xbox with them. That's party numbers and an excuse to intoxicate.

Sounds like fun to me! :fun:

[compl3x]

Awesome... Now I just need to find 7 friends

 

 

[medhunter]

Why is no one thinking of sports game ? Yes it's useful for those

yep like Fifa

[Skiver Veteran]

Why is no one thinking of sports game ? Yes it's useful for those

Sure some sports games may work but thinking of popular sports like Fifa or NFL, the players are so spread out across a pitch that the camera would have to be very zoomed out which imo would ruin game play.

[Ironman273]

Maybe something along the lines of party games, with added Kinect functionality.  Nothing specific I can think of now, but devs are more creative than I am :)

 

On the flip side the PS3 supported 7 controllers (if I remember correctly) and I don't recall any games supporting that many concurrent players.

[spacer]

Given that game developers have barely supported two local players this generation, supporting eight is probably a bit overkill. Last game I played which supported four (may have even supported eight or more) local players was the Crash Bandicoot party game on the PSOne.

 

I genuinely wonder whether they have specifically designed it to use eight (perhaps for future plans), or if it is simply a result of coincidence.

These are pretty much my thoughts. Supporting eight controllers is overkill, even for sports games.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

Maybe something along the lines of party games, with added Kinect functionality.  Nothing specific I can think of now, but devs are more creative than I am :)

 

On the flip side the PS3 supported 7 controllers (if I remember correctly) and I don't recall any games supporting that many concurrent players.

 

Technically it was 7 BT devices, which of course includes controllers but they had extra for headsets, remotes etc. The only positive of them choosing that tech IMO; but as you say it was never used for gaming.

 

Pretty much useless for 99% of the genres out there but if there was demand I could see party games making use of the feature. Unfortunately, MS doesn't really have any IPs in that field e.g Mario Party. I would have mentioned Blitz Games since they made Fusion Frenzy, but well...We all know how that ended this week.