It was last month when Sony announced it is working on a next-generation virtual reality system for the PlayStation 5. While that entire system won"t be launching this year, the company has now taken the wraps off its next-gen VR controller, which already seems to be a massive step up from the current-gen PlayStation VR Move wands.
"Our new VR controller speaks to our mission of achieving a much deeper sense of presence and stronger feeling of immersion in VR experiences," explained Sony"s Hideaki Nishino in a new PlayStation blog post. "It will build upon the innovation we introduced with the DualSense wireless controller, which changed how games “feel” on PS5 by unlocking a new way to tap into the sense of touch."
Per the company, the new orb-shaped controller allows for a more natural grip, hitting a balance between comfort and freedom of movement. As previously stated, taking technologies from the DualSense controller means this VR controller will ship with the popular adaptive triggers, feature haptic feedback, as well as allow for finger touch detection in the areas where your thumbs, index, and middle fingers rest,like VR controllers from other parties.
The tracking ring along the bottom of the controller is what"s being utilized by the (yet to be revealed) headset for 3D tracking. Each controller features an analog stick, two face buttons, as well grip, trigger, and one of the menu buttons (Options on the right and Create on the left).
Sony says that prototypes of this controller will soon be reaching virtual reality developers to see what they can accomplish with the new design. While the full release of the PlayStation 5 VR system is a ways off, the company will continue to show more about the project going forward, meaning we might get to see the actual headset soon.