Typing Japanese + PS3

[Laelani]

Is it true you can type Japanese on NA PS3? And is it you need the right keyboard + system language set to Japanese + create a JP PS Network acct?

Solid answers please I don't want to buy the wrong ps3! Thanks for any replies!!

*Edit* or do you even need a japanese keyboard? My regular keyboard types japanese fine on my computer.

http://manuals.playstation.net/docum.../keyboard.html website seems to indicate that either keyboard can be used, and that I don't need a JP PS3

I guess i'm just looking to see if anyone knows this first hand

[Kaisha]

I just made my JP account with no input changes on my end for the PS3. Everything you do actually need to input needs to be in alphanumeric characters anyways.
(which is basically your e-mail and username)

[Yugl]

You can change it using input I believe (I haven't tried this in years, but I believe it's located in system settings). I remember trying this so that I could type in Japanese on FFXI, but it did not work (For PS2 games); it should work for PS3 games.

[bungiefan]

The big deal is you just need to figure out how to turn on the JP IME on the PS3. Unless working in just kana with direct kana input, you need an IME to convert things to kanji and convert Roman text input to kana. Keyboard has nothing to do with it.

There's the Japanese keyboard layout for QWERTY, which is diferent than the American one, but doesn't automatically give you JP input, like if you set it that way on NA PS2 FFXI. Then there the IME which converts Roman character input to Japanese text, which works with any layout, and actually enables JP text input. They're two different things. If you just tell the computer you have a JP keyboard, it will just swap a few symbols around, like " and @ trading spots.

The only reason to want a JP keyboard is for the zenkaku and hankaku buttons that aren't on an NA keyboard (though only JP Windows includes a driver to enable those buttons in my experience, I can't get them working on US XP or 2K), and for the kana painted on them so you can do one keystroke per kana with direct input instead of taking 2-3 strokes to type their Roman letter equivalents. If you memorize the kana layout though, you can still do it with a US keyboard, you just can't look at the keys to know which kana are on which keys. In kana input mode you can just type the Z key to get TSU, instead of having to type out TSU in Roman letters and have the computer convert it for you. It makes your typing about twice as fast since you only need about half the keystrokes.