There's nothing quite so enlightening as a solution to a problem you didn't realize you had. RaptorFire's booth, tucked away in the back corner of the LA Convention Center's South Hall was offering up just that, in form of Cronus, a little USB stick that the company promises will "change how you look at gaming." While the little USB adapter's functionality isn't quite so grandiose (same goes for the company's assertion that it's "the greatest invention in gaming since the controller", the peripheral offers up an interesting proposition -- being able to control your Xbox 360 with a PlayStation 3 controller -- and the other way around. Oh, and Wiimotes are in the mix, as well.

The Cronus is a black USB dongle with a small single digit display on the top and a USB input on the rear. Plug it into the console of your choice, sync it up and you should be good to go. We played a round of Battlefield 3, using an Xbox 360 controller on a PS 3 -- and things went smoothly. We didn't get a chance to actually try out the syncing process, but the device's manufacturer assured us that it's quite smooth, for what that's worth.












The question, of course, is why anyone needs such a device. The scenario painted for us was visiting a friend who doesn't have the same console at home (you know, if you're capable of looking past such personality flaws). Or perhaps you've picked up a new system yourself, but aren't ready to make that controller leap. The rep we spoke to played down the device's modding potential, perhaps in an attempt to make the whole thing a bit more above board, so far as the manufacturers are concerned.

No firm details on pricing or availability yet, though we're told, broadly, that the company's looking to get these to market in two to three months, priced at around $50 to $60.