In a patent that was published just last week, Sony seems to be on the move making new finger-tracking VR motion controllers. Sony and PlayStation have the most out-dated VR controllers on the market. They are due for an upgrade for the second PSVR headset, and that seems to be in the works. There is no confirmation these controllers will ever release, as companies file patents all the time. With that being said, there has been a plethora of rumors in the last few months about new Sony controllers.
In a patent that was filed for a ‘Controller Device’, you see that it is going to be an input source for a “home-use game machine” (PS5 and headset) and that it will “detect movement of a user’s hand.” There is more to it too, as it can track using “a plurality of sensor units that detect the fingers of the user” for the input as well. The sensors can also sense “the proximity or contact of a finger and outputs a finger detection signal indicating the state of proximity or contact of the finger.”
New Motion Controllers
In the images within the patent, you can see the design. It looks like a redesigned Valve Index controller while maintaining the key functionality of the PSVR controller. You will strap your hand into the controller while holding a rectangle. It has a trackpad surrounded by input sources on the front top, while making room for a trigger on the back top.
The grip would likely come from he finger and hand tracking. From the image, it doesn’t seem like that will be a ‘clickable’ input, but rather something that is only sensing when your hands are there. This would be very different from the Valve Index controllers. Those controller require you to have a firm grasp on the controller to activate the grip, something that hasn’t been well-received in the community.
The strap on the controller is a key piece of functionality as well. This would, in theory, allow the PlayStation user to let go of their controller during gameplay. This would allow them to throw virtual objects and release the grip, adding a layer of immersion that hasn’t been there in the past. If you aren’t familiar with PlayStation virtual reality, the last controllers were very plain and simple. They got the job done, but nothing more than that.
This is anything but a final design. Like we said, there is a lot of patents that go unused in the mission to create a new product. This may be one of them, but we won’t know for some time. If reports are true, we likely won’t know for nearly another year. Until then, we can simply speculate and hope for Sony to do the right thing and give us elite finger tracking. For more VR news and community updates, make sure to check back at vrgear.com.
