Business and Technology

Sony unveils PlayStation 5 VR controllers

Sony has unveiled the controller for its next-generation virtual reality (VR) system coming to the PlayStation 5. In a recent blog post, PlayStation Senior Vice President for Platform Planning and Management Hideaki Nishino said the new controller was made to achieve a much deeper sense of presence and a stronger feeling of immersion in VR experiences.

For its new controller, Sony is using an orb-shaped design that surrounds the player’s hand. This shape will allow users to grip the controller naturally, while also providing the freedom to move their hands.

“There are no constraints with how you’re moving your hands, providing developers with the ability to create unique gameplay experiences,” Nishino said. He added that the design of the controller offers great ergonomics, making it well-balanced and comfortable to hold.

“We applied learnings from testing users with a range of hand sizes, as well as the decades of insights from controllers across all PlayStation platforms,” Nishino stated.

The left controller contains one analog stick, the triangle and square buttons, a “grip” button (L1), a trigger button (L2), and Create button.

The right controller features one analog stick, the cross and circle buttons, a “grip” button (R1), a trigger button (R2) and Options button.

Features
Sony said that the controller’s features will enable players to feel and interact with games in a “much more visceral way”.

To achieve this, it has employed several of the capabilities of its DualSense remote which debuted on the PlayStation 5.

This includes an adaptive trigger on each of the controllers which adds palpable tension when pressed.

“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,” Nishino explained.

“When you take that kind of mechanic and apply it to VR, the experience is amplified to the next level,” Nishino said.

In addition, the controller also comes with haptic feedback, which has been optimised for its form factor.

Nishino said this would make sensations 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.”

Other features include finger touch detection which will be able to detect your finders without pressing buttons in the areas where you place your thumb, index, or middle fingers, as well as a tracking ring that will allow the new VR headset to track the controllers.

Headset awaiting reveal
Nishino did not reveal details on the pricing of the controllers, although this will likely only be provided after the new headset has been announced.

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Source: mybroadband