The current convergence between conventional simulation training and game based training is blurring the lines that once defined each industry. The simulation industry has already begun to assimilate low cost gaming middleware for graphics, artificial intelligence, and physics. With the unequivocal success of the integration of game based software solutions into conventional training, the next logical step is the utilization of low cost gaming console hardware within the tool chain.

The most recent generation of gaming console hardware is ripe with potential uses within simulation and training. The three major game console manufacturers, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, have each provided open tools that allow direct access to their various hardware solutions. The potential of these systems envelop a broad range of uses from deploying fully immersive 3D simulations and performing computationally intensive multithreaded tasks to revolutionary paradigms for user interaction.

Determining the appropriate solution for a given situation can be a daunting task for uninitiated developers, as each solution is unique to its hardware. Given this, training objectives and requirements must be mapped to the full range of fidelity and capabilities offered by each solution. A recent study to determine the utility of low cost gaming hardware in the Deployable Virtual Training Environment (DVTE) was conducted by a multidisciplinary team from the Applied Cognition and Training in Immersive Virtual Environments (ACTIVE) Lab at the University of Central Florida's Institute for Simulation and Training. This work discusses the initial findings from the study and provides guidelines for employing the latest generation of gaming hardware within PC Simulation and Training.