Sony Interactive Entertainment has officially revealed the newest PlayStation VR controller for the upcoming new PS VR set.
Senior Vice President, Platform Planning and Management Hideaki Nishino recently shared the first images of the new PS VR controllers and it looks very different than the previous PS Move motion controllers. “This will play a critical role in providing gamers with the VR experience we’re working to deliver,” he stated. “Our new VR controller speaks to our mission of achieving a much deeper sense of presence and stronger feeling of immersion in VR experiences.”
From that Nishino is saying, the new controller will have the same tech that the DualSense controllers have. In other words, it will offer the same level of immersion that the DualSense has: haptic feedback.
The design of the controllers is unique with somewhat of an orb-like shape. This will make players hold the controller naturally, according to Nishino, while playing with a lot of freedom. There are no constraints when moving with their hands, which means no wires attached.
Nishino says that this new controller was built with great ergonomics in mind, which makes it a lot comfortable to use and hold in each hand. The shape was also derived after they tested initial builds with testers that have different hand sizes.
Here are the new features that the PlayStation Blog post shared:
- Adaptive triggers: Each VR controller (Left and Right) includes an adaptive trigger button that adds palpable tension when pressed, similar to what’s found in the DualSense controller. If you’ve played a PS5 game, you’ll be familiar with the tension in the L2 or R2 buttons when you press them, such as when you’re drawing your bow to fire an arrow. When you take that kind of mechanic and apply it to VR, the experience is amplified to the next level.
- Haptic feedback: The new controller will have haptic feedback optimized for its form factor, making every sensation in the game world more impactful, textured and nuanced. When you’re traversing through rocky desert or trading blows in melee combat, you’ll feel the difference, magnifying the extraordinary visual and audio experience that’s so central to VR.
- Finger touch detection: The controller can detect your fingers without any pressing in the areas where you place your thumb, index, or middle fingers. This enables you to make more natural gestures with your hands during gameplay.
- Tracking: The VR controller is tracked by the new VR headset through a tracking ring across the bottom of the controller.
- Action buttons / analog sticks: The Left controller contains one analog stick, the triangle and square buttons, a “grip” button (L1), trigger button (L2) and Create button. The Right controller contains one analog stick, the cross and circle buttons, a “grip” button (R1), trigger button (R2) and Options button. The “grip” button can be used to pick up in-game objects, as one example.
In order to build the new VR controller, SIE’s Product, Engineering, and Design teams collaborated with a goal of making the best controller for new VR gaming. There are improved prototypes that they will be handing out to the development community soon for future VR games.
No details yet on when the new PlayStation VR controller will be released.