No Special Equipment Needed: Your Guide to Playing Just Dance
As a longtime fan of Just Dance, one question I see again and again from newcomers is: "Do I need to buy any extra stuff to play?" The quick answer is nope! Unlike most other motion-based party games, the Just Dance series keeps equipment requirements blissfully simple. Let‘s dance into the details…
All You Really Need: A Screen, a Phone, and Your Best Moves
While past dance games saturated living rooms with piles of plastic peripherals, Just Dance takes a minimalist approach. Thanks to smart device connectivity, all you need to start dancing is:
- A screen to view the game (console, computer, smart TV)
- A smartphone with the Just Dance Controller app
- Your natural rhythm and smooth moves!
The smartphone app uses your device‘s motion sensors and camera to track your dances. No console cameras, sensor bars, dance mats, or exaggerated props required! This simplicity helps explain Just Dance‘s insane popularity–over 150 million players have boogied on down since the first game launched. 🕺💃
Here‘s a quick look at the key equipment needed for each gaming platform:
As you can see, the core phone + screen combo handles motion tracking on every system! Now let‘s get more specific…
Diving Into Each Platform‘s Just Dance Setup
I‘ll cover the essential hardware for key consoles and devices so you can dance with confidence, no surprises. Time to tackle each one!
Nintendo Switch: Phones + Joy-Cons Tackle Motion Control
The Switch makes Just Dance magic happen with its versatile Joy-Con controllers. You have a couple options:
Use one Joy-Con – The single controller tracks motions surprisingly well. It‘s my preferred method since I always know which "hand" to follow.
Two Joy-Cons – One in each hand heightens accuracy, but gets confusing on flipped dances!
Smartphone App – Alternatively, sync your phone via Bluetooth for motion tracking. This frees up Joy-Cons for multiplayer.
So while the phone app works, the efficient Joy-Cons handle motion well on their own. But make sure they‘re charged–those HD Rumble vibrations drain faster when playing Just Dance!
PlayStation and Xbox: Phones Step In for Motion Control
On PlayStation and Xbox systems, your smartphone handles motion tracking. Here‘s what you‘ll need:
PlayStation or Xbox console – Provides the dancers, songs, and colorful environments for you to immerse in.
Gaming controller – Navigates menus and song selection. The PS5 DualSense‘s audio output makes dancer calls really stand out!
Smartphone with Just Dance app – Tracks motion by reading input from the gyroscope, accelerometer, camera and mic. It‘s shockingly accurate.
Without Move wands or Kinect, PS/Xbox lack built-in motion tracking tech. But phones fill that role nicely–yet another reason barriers to play Just Dance are so low!
PCs and Smart TVs: Mobile Devices Become Dance Controllers
In an incredible display of accessibility, Just Dance also runs on computers, tablets, and smart TVs via the Just Dance Now streaming platform. Playing wireless signifies next-level freedom.
The setup is laughably simple:
Internet-connected screen – Your PC, phone, tablet, smart display, or smart TV equipped with Just Dance Now app or capable of accessing the JustDanceNow website.
Smartphone as controller – Just like consoles, your phone‘s sensors, gyroscope, camera and mic track motion. No wires, no limits–dance anywhere with signal!
Again, that phone + screen combo eliminates ALL specialized equipment. I love seeing Ubisoft enable dancing for ALL, no peripherals required. 👏
It‘s why Just Dance won‘t leave my weekly gaming rotation anytime soon! Now grab your gear so we can settle this on the dancefloor. I won‘t go easy on you…😉
