Inside the Playstation Move Controller

Wiki-style internet repair manual ifixit has just posted an article that takes an exceptionally detailed look at the innards of the Playstation Move controller. Though the piece doesn't explicitly state how to, well... fix a broken Move controller, it does feature a "teardown," which is the site's term for an article that literally takes a device apart and analyzes its component parts, which can lead other contributers to figure out how it could be repaired in the future.

With the release of tech specs, we already knew most of what made up your typical Move wand, but the examination does reveal a few surprising aspects or details about the device that wouldn't otherwise be known without taking it apart:

• The controller is extremely easy to open up and poke around in (though I don't have enough confidence in myself to put it all back together the right way!).
• The Lithium-Ion battery inside the Move is not soldered on, it is attached via a plug, which means whenever it runs out, it can be easily replaced.
• A single Move controller can run for about 10 hours on a full charge (well, that answers that).
• However, many of the other component parts are soldered on, which makes repairing other parts (such as the vibration motor and LED) difficult to repair if damaged, as well as the motherboard itself.
• LEDs can lose power and brightness as they heat up. Surprisingly (but thankfully), the Move has a heatsink that should keep the on-board light running for years longer than normal. The LED is also capable of displaying over 16 million different colors/hues!

ifixit comes to the conclusion that while the Move isn't necessarily cheap compared to the standard Wii controller, the amount of technology packed into it makes its $49.99 price tag actually makes it quite the bargain.