Next week, on October 23rd, Sony will be releasing their next generation camera for the PlayStation 3 called the PlayStationEye. You can read their original press release here, or view the current product description here.

Sony’s original console camera for the PlayStation 2 was called the EyeToy. It was a USB camera that enabled the player to view him/herself on the screen during gameplay. Many titles took advantage of this and were created around the technology including the Play series as well as Antigrav, Groove, Kinetic, and Sega Super Stars.  Though the specs state that it has a resolution of 640×480, this is the maximum capability of its pixel array and can only be used for stills. It normally runs at 320×240.

In comparison, the Eye functions at a resolution of 640×380 @ 60fps. (Though this isn’t quite DVD quality, it’s much better than VHS.) The camera will also be able to run at twice the speed at a lower resolution in order to capture motion more fluidly for game interaction. The camera is also designed to function well in low light situations (an issue that limited the usability of the original EyeToy). It also boasts a 4-microphone array to help better isolate sound from background noise. This will allow players to communicate with others without resorting to headsets (This same technology is used in dedicated video conferencing hardware that costs $5000 and up!)

This device will enable users to capture their own video and edit it with a free downloadable application from the PlayStation Network called EyeCreate. It can also be used as a video conferencing device which can communicate with up to 6 people at once. And for those who own a PS3 to play games, there will be titles for the Eye as well including The Eye of Judgment and the Trials of Topoq.

If for no other reason, I find the Internet-based videophone aspect of this enticing. If Wil Wheaton was pleased to keep in touch with his kid at college through Xbox Live and a headset, I wonder what he would say about some facetime (without long distance charges). I plan to be getting one of these. Who knows, maybe I’ll be seeing you soon?