Hot-handed? This PS3 controller may help

Everyone knows that defending the alternate-history Earth of "Resistance: Fall of Man" from alien invaders or slicing through a horde of enemies in "Genji: Days of the Blade" can make for perspiring palms. Sure, a little sweat might add to the excitement of the game, but it also makes it harder to keep a grip on those ever-important controllers, which can heat up easily due to their heavy power consumption.

Just in time for the release of Sony's PlayStation 3, peripheral maker Logitech has unveiled a PS3 version of its ChillStream controller, which has a built-in fan-based cooling system designed to keep the hands of gamers cool and dry. The fan pushes air in the direction of the user's palm and the four fingers most frequently used to slay dragons and engage in other game-crucial pursuits; the air stream can be set to high, low, or off.

(Of course, as one game-playing colleague of mine says, any player with sweaty-palm issues might have other things to worry about.)

That aside, Logitech plans to time the release of the product with the arrival of the PS3, which is slated to make its appearance on Nov. 11 in Japan and Nov. 17 in the United States. The $40 controller, which comes in metallic silver or glossy black, plugs into the PS3's USB port and makes very little noise, Logitech says--a good thing, given the potential interference such noise could cause with gamers' endless shouts of victory and anguish.

Update: A previous version of this blog had a picture of an earlier ChillStream; it has been updated with an image of the PS3 controller.

(Photo: Logitech)