Before you rush off to check your e-mail to see if you’re one of the 15,000+ that got invited to the PS3 Home Beta last night, here’s something else to look forward to…

Sony’s announced that they’re releasing an updated, next-gen version of the old EyeToy this summer. Renamed the Playstation Eye camera, it’ll be an accessory for voice, video chat and online gaming.

New features include:

-Background noise reduction and more accurate speech recognition in the microphone

-Better performance in low-light conditions (good news since the old EyeToy couldn’t do jack if the lighting wasn’t perfect)

-Faster frame rate for improved tracking, responsiveness and smoothness

-Two position zoom lenses

-Free EyeCreate editing software