New Delhi: Hours after Facebook unveiled its vision for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) interfaces for the future, Sony unveiled how VR will work on PlayStation. In a blog post, the company showcased the new design for its next-generation controllers that will work with the PlayStation VR (PSVR). The company didn’t say when these will make it to the market, but it’s a strikingly different approach to what Facebook has.
The PSVR 2 controllers have an orb-like design and are meant to wrap around a user’s hands. The company said “it will build upon” the PlayStation 5’s DualSense wireless controller. That includes a “sense of touch” to controllers, which will be done through haptics and other controls.
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The PSVR 2 controllers have two analog sticks, one on each controller. The trademark triangle, square, circle and cross buttons are also divided amongst the two, with the first two on the left controller and the other two on the right. The controllers also have a tracking ring on the bottom, which helps track how the user is moving them in space. Since you are essentially wearing the controllers, the motion should feel similar to moving your hands around in general.
Further, there are adaptive triggers that are similar to the L2, R2 buttons that you see on the PS5’s Dual-Sense controller. A common example that both Sony and Facebook provided was drawing a bow string to fire an arrow. In Facebook’s case, users will just perform the action, while Sony will need users to press the triggers.
Another common interactive feature is haptic feedback, which Sony says is “optimized” for the form factor here. It’s meant to make games and VR apps feel more real and deliver the sensation your character would feel in the game to your hands. The controller can also detect where your finger is touching without needing to always press buttons.
