If you were gaming in the late ’90s, you probably remember a peculiar peripheral known as the GameShark. Like the Game Genie before it, the GameShark allowed Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and other video game console owners to switch on preloaded cheat codes for their games. The brand eventually faded away as cheats lost their luster, but at CES 2024, the company made a surprising comeback with a new name and a new AI game controller.
You might remember the commotion that AI Shark caused on Thursday when a press release about the company’s software claimed that the Nintendo Switch 2 was launching in September. We’re still not entirely sure what happened there, but it definitely got our attention. But now that the dust has settled, let’s see what AI Shark is actually offering.
On its website, AI Shark announced five upcoming AI-powered products: an inline compute unit, a game controller, a mouse, a keyboard, and a headset. For now, we will focus on the controller, which AI Shark says “adapts to your play style.”
According to the company, the peripheral contains sensors that can detect the pressure of your grip and the timing of your button presses. The AI within can then make real-time adjustments to the sensitivity of the controller’s buttons and its response time.
“The controller’s AI adapts to your play style, learning from your habits and preferences,” AI Shark explains on the product page for the device. “It can suggest button remaps and sensitivity adjustments, making it easier for players of all skill levels to perform complex moves effortlessly. For new players, it’s like having an intuitive guide, while for veterans, it’s a tool that constantly evolves and fine-tunes itself to match their expertise.”
When the original GameShark came out, online gaming on consoles was a distant dream. Now, millions of gamers compete against one another in Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto Online every day. If this AI controller is as capable as AI Shark claims it is, it seems like it would give owners an unfair advantage over the competition.
Of course, AI Shark would not be the first AI company to make eye-popping promises they can’t actually keep. At the very least, we’re intrigued to see how these AI-assisted gaming peripherals develop in the years to come and how game makers handle them.
