Gaming market reveals changes in the MEMS gyroscope competitive landscape

LYON, FRANCE: As the use of motion sensors in various consumer electronic devices is expanding quickly, the industry competitive landscape is significantly changing. In particular concerning MEMS gyroscopes.

The battle to introduce the 3-axis gyroscopes on smartphones has just started, but the major market for MEMS gyroscopes is still gaming. In a $418 million consumer gyroscope market in 2010, gaming represents a market segment of $162 million according to Yole Développement.

Yole Développement will release next month, its new report dedicated to worldwide consumer electronics industry. This market and technological analysis will include competitive landscape, market data, technological challenges analysis.Source: Yole Développement, France.

More than 50 million Motion Plus controllers (which integrates InvenSense and Epson gyroscopes) have been sold out since their launch in June 2009. However this is just a start, since new motion sensing solutions with MEMS gyroscope are now being released on the market.

In September 2010 the Sony Move game controller was launched. It integrates 9 degrees of freedom with the use of accelerometers, gyroscopes and compass. It uses complex sensor fusion algorithms creating more precise gestures recognition, and more immersive gaming experiences. And now, Nintendo is planning to add motion sensing features in portable game stations, by integrating accelerometers and gyroscopes in 3DS, to be released in February 2011.

Yole Développement believes two gyroscope industry providers will benefit from these changes:

* According to Yole Développement’s information, the 2-axis gyro in the Move controller is from Sony. Sony is a newcomer in the MEMS gyroscope landscape: Sony has developed a 2-axis solution that is now integrated in all its DSCs except high-end products since end 2009.

Those parts are also sold to a few other DSC manufacturers in Japan, and are now integrated in the PS3 Move game controller, which means that Sony now has a very large gyro market share! Sony Computer Entertainment may have a second source for this 2-axis gyroscope but Yole Développement believes that Sony gyroscopes are used in majority.

* Panasonic has recently launched its 3-axis gyroscope and is actively promoting it in the gaming and mobile phone industry. Yole Développement expects Panasonic 3-axis gyroscopes to be integrated in the future Nintendo 3DS.

Competition is gaining in intensity as the gaming gyroscope market is becoming increasingly attractive. Established players (ST, Epson Toyocom, InvenSense) are also pushing hard to introduce 3-axis gyroscopes into this market while new large players such as Kionix and Bosch Sensortec are also expected to enter this market. It is possible that a unique 3-axis gyro could replace the 2-axis gryo + single axis gryo of the Motion Plus controller.

Current integrations of several types of sensors opens the way for even more technology or capability. Yole Développement forecasts an increase in market traction for MEMS IMUs within one or two generation of products, provided that the cost of such package becomes more attractive compared to the simple addition of accelerometer and gyroscope discrete sensors.