PS3 might be a snazzy addition to any home cinema rig, but Sony’s decision to rely on new fangled Bluetooth instead of IR has put universal IR remotes in a tricky situation. As in, they won’t work. Fortunately, that’s where Schmartz steps in. Its PS3IR-1000 converts IR into Bluetooth so your IR remotes can play ball with the PS3 at last.
What the PS3IR-1000 does is simple: it accepts standard IR commands and converts them to the 51 PS3 Bluetooth keys (and chucks in an additional power on/off key), so in theory any IR remote you dig out of the loft could become your all-singing, all-dancing PS3 remote. It’s probably best to stick to universal remotes though, seeing as that is the whole point really, and because the PS3IR-1000 will happily teach it the required IR codes.
Another interesting feature is that you can hook it up to your PC via USB and control your console from your desktop. We’re not sure why that would be a good idea, but we’re not going to question how you run your home cinema setup.
All the PS3IR-1000 needs to control your PS3 is a powered USB port. That could be, but by no means has to be, the PS3 itself. If you’ve already filled up your PS3’s USB ports, then you can use any other device’s slot, as long as it grants power and is within 30 feet of the console.
The PS3IR-1000 is on sale now in the US for $79 (around £52). It complies with European Union CE standards too, so there’s a chance of a UK launch if someone decides to fill a cargo ship container with a batch.
