The newest VR controllers have finally found themselves a sturdy release date. The Etee controllers that have been production and funding for over a year are finally on the horizon. You are able to buy and fund the project even further, starting the 1st day of April.
The Etee controllers were invented and produced by Mick Lin. This project is from London and has garnered the respect and anticipation of virtual reality lovers from all across the globe.
As you can see in the tweet above, the controllers seem to be incredible responsive and pressure-sensitive. Obviously the startup wouldn’t ever release a video of the controllers looking bad, but the real use of them seem incredibly great.
Real Pressure
In the demo, you were shown a screen of everything the controller is picking up as input. Every finger is being tracked, every finger has their own pressure tester, and has their own place on the controller. The thumb portion of the controller may seem a little weak without a joystick, but the embedded sensors are tracking where your thumb is as well.
You can also see how much pressure each finger holds. The green bar will completely light up, and then will turn orange if the pressure is enough. This is likely causing the controller to ‘grip’, when the game calls for it in any setting. Much like the Valve Index controllers, you will be able to completely let go of the controller while still having a grip on it. This is done by the outside grips that are holding the controller to the back of your hand.
These controllers are compatible with SteamVR tracking, both 1.0 and 2.0 Base Stations. We advent received confirmation with what headsets they will work with, but you’ll likely see compatibility with headsets that are also taking advantage of the SteamVR tracking that many users already own.
This controller seems incredibly versatile. On their kickstarter page, the company states that it will give a richer experience to “extended reality”, something that could very easily go towards augmented reality. These controllers do a fantastic job of representing your hands in a virtual space. Any headset-producing company would be grateful to have the Etee controllers be compatible.
We will continue to update the website as the details about this controller come to light. For more VR news and hardware updates, make sure to check back at VRGear.com.
