THE CONTROLLERS
Ponder these new orbs
The headset may get top billing but you shouldn’t overlook the new Sense controllers. The ergonomic, orbital design brings PSVR2 more in line with other platforms, but the controllers also boast plenty of unique aspects well worth getting to grips with.
Punning aside, the Sense controllers are designed to offer an even more immersive experience. Whereas with PSVR you waggle a pair of PlayStation Move controllers like glow sticks, PSVR2’s Sense controllers encompass your hands, allowing for more naturalistic movement. A handy wrist strap also means there’s little chance of you accidentally flinging one halfway across the room and then finding a nasty surprise waiting for you back in the real world when you finally doff your headset.
Besides feeling comfortable in the hand, the Sense controllers also boast some impressive tech. Built-in finger-touch detection means your movements will be more accurately reflected in-game, while the multiple cameras within the headset keep track of the controller as it moves through physical space. Together these features also mean you’re less likely to come up against the immersion-breaking invisible walls sometimes experienced when you gesture your controller outside the field of view of PSVR’s single external camera setup.
“THE SENSE CONTROLLERS ENCOMPASS YOUR HANDS, ALLOWING FOR MORE NATURALISTIC MOVEMENT.”
The Sense controllers have got plenty more going for them beyond that, so we’re asking Polyarc’s principal engineer, Brendan Walker, for his expert opinion.
“I am so pumped about the new controllers,” he tells us, “because we finally have a set of high-quality VR controllers. I think that they have the potential to be the best in this current generation for a couple of reasons.”
GETTING IN TOUCH
So, we wonder, what aspects are particularly exciting to him? “We’ve got you know, great tracking. Finally, you have two hands, which is huge, right? We’ve had to design a game that works single-handedly [with the DualShock 4] or dual-handedly [with the PlayStation Move controllers]. […] So now we have two proper hands and what can you do with that?”
The short answer is ‘a lot.’
Walker highlights the practical aspects of the design. He explains, “Their design for the tracking ring was super-interesting. You’ll notice that it’s [positioned] more toward the back of the hand, and one cool implication of that is that it means it’s easier if you need to have two-handed interactions that are closer to each other. You can do that, because the tracking rings aren’t going to bump into each other. So, that’s pretty cool! [It means] you can get higher-precision interactions.”
We’re excited by the prospect of having slightly less awkward limbs in
VR, but also the opportunity for more accurate high fives and realistically awkward finger guns.
INVISIBLE TOUCH
Like the DualSense and the headset, PSVR2’s controllers will feature refined haptic feedback.
“They’ve kind of pushed the envelope on haptic feedback for the controllers, which I think is super-cool,” Walker says. “I think in broader terms of VR, we’ve continued to increase the fidelity of haptic feedback in the controllers and that’s such a cool signal to the player – often a subconscious one. But it’s really important to know your hands – you know, these ethereal mouse cursors that can pass through the environment – you need some way to know when you’re touching something or running over something. That’s important.”
The haptics on your head and in your hands are set to create next-gen virtual reality experiences incredibly immersive. Polyarc’s own Moss series centres on mouse protagonist Quill, who enjoys a scratch behind the ear herself. Were the series to make the move onto PSVR2, it’s obvious how your interactions with Quill would benefit from the enhanced haptics.
“THEY’VE PUSHED THE ENVELOPE ON HAPTIC FEEDBACK FOR THE CONTROLLERS.”