http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2011/08/02/ps-vita-can-be-used-as-a-ps3-controller/

Sony have confirmed what we suspected all along, that you can use the PS Vita as a PlayStation 3 controller, effectively offering up similar gameplay possibilities as Nintendo’s Wii U is touting.

“What could you do with all of this?” asked SCEE’s Phil Rogers at the Develop Conference. “Here’s a few boring technical ideas: you could drive a display from a PS3 game, for example.  PS3 can send data down to Vita and Vita can display it. You could use the unique features [of Vita] – gyroscope, touch front and back – as a control device for a PS3 game.”

“You can run software on both devices and use the network to sync the game states. And that’s pretty good, because you then have the processing power of PS3 doing that work, Vita [doing] fancy graphics – however you want to do it. You’re not sacrificing the PS3′s CPU to be able to have a rich experience on Vita.”

It seems that Sony will be happy enough for developers to do this, too, which could bring about some interesting ideas.  Touch screen control for PS3 games, for example.

You can read our hands on impressions of PS Vita here.

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Thoughts?

I remember when Sony talked about the PSP utilizing the PS3 and it's games.

example: using it like a rear view mirror for racers and such, but it never happened.

I see them using it like PSP's remote play.  A feature I think needs to be updated.

That's one expensive controller. I can think of some stuff I'd like to see but Sony will really need to push some titles to use it and I guess a lot would depend on install base. At least with the Wii U they know every customer has the same kit, with PS3/Vita connection the install base is bound to be a lot more fragmented and a bit of an unknown.

Still - if they use it well it could make Vita more attractive as a combi portable plus extension of your PS3.

What about L2, R2, L3 and R3 button functionalities?

I guess the touchpad at the beack can be used for those. One left finger=L2, two fingers=L3.

Personally, I don't think this feature will be a huge success. Like others have said, how many people will have both the Vita and PS3? I think this may be used for some Sony games, and only as an option of course. The WiiU games will be designed to use it from the beginning and will be compulsory to use. But having the Vita+PS3 functionalities being a mere option that not many people will be able to use it means that in reality it won't get close to the capabilities of WiiU.

This really reminds me of when they were comparing the Sixaxis to the Wii Remote. They'll get absolutely no third-party support for such a setup except for maybe Kojima releasing a game that incorporates it but even that is doubtful.

Don't some Wii games allow the DS to be used as a controller too, e.g. Pokemon Battle Revolution? Given how much the idea of connectivity was pushed in the GC/GBA era, I thought it was odd it wasn't utilized more this gen, especially given how much easier it would be for users to implement (given the higher number of Wii/DS owners relative to GC/GBA owners and the ability to connect up wirelessly). That it hasn't been makes me suspect that publishers are reluctant to release games with features that require purchasers to own two separate systems. Now if Sony could release a SKU that had both a PS3 and a Vista together and with an advertising campaign that showed it doing what the WiiU can do, then I think the WiiU would have a like-for-like competitor (with the Sony SKU having the advantage of its 'tablet-controller' being an actual hand-held console that could be played on the move). Whether Sony could release such a SKU at a competitive price is another question, however.

I couldn't care less if third parties use this or not.
Almost all my ps3 games are from sony or developed by japaneses. I think that it really depends of the difficult level to make that happen.

If it's easy for a dev to port this functionality from the Wii U version, why not?

Although, even if it was the easiest thing in the world, a lot of devs wouldn't use it because they are afraid of having PS3 version superior than X360.

meh, I mean don't get me wrong, it's never a bad thing to have options but this is not something I would care much about..not impressed with wiiu either

Technically it may be possible, I doubt most WiiU functions will be implemented though for the Vita/PS3 by developers for a long, long time if at all, unless implementation is trivial or close to trivial (with the exception of Sony 1st party and moneyhats), it just doesn't make monetary sense for the developers.