Last month, Sony said we won’t be looking through the PlayStation 5 VR headset this year. But today, we get a good first look at the controllers we’ll be swinging around when the next headset does eventually release.
Sony promises “stronger immersion with adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, finger-touch detection and more.” Those adaptive triggers should add another layer to immersion in VR games. I liked what Sony did with them in the PS5 controller, and they make even more sense in VR.
“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,” Sony’s Hideaki Nishino writes in a blog post.
Here are the full details straight from Sony.
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.
As for the headset itself? Last month Sony said the next PlayStation VR will offer “dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity” along with “an even greater sense of presence.”
And while it won’t release this year, developers are already tinkering with early hardware.
Oculus’ newest headset, the Quest 2, shows a decent headset at a reasonable price can grow the VR market. Sony knows making VR affordable is key. If they can push a headset along the lines of the Quest 2 in specs and price, along with some quality software behind it, they should have a winner.
Nishino promises, “there’s still much more to share about the next-generation of VR on PS5.”