Sony Interactive Entertainment has updated the design for a VR controller that was patented in 2017, this new controller features a force feedback thumb sensor indicated in the patent as (231).
What’s interesting is that this isn’t the first time these controller designs have popped up. Last year, it was found that Sony Interactive Entertainment filed two patents using a rounder grip design that keeps the same general look established in the newer patent, hinting that there may be more to these patents than just theoretical designs. [Thanks, VR Focus!]
Essentially, the controller has an L2/R2-like button that can be depressed at the back. The first of the newly discovered patents talks about using a thumb sensor block (tagged as 231 in the header picture) to judge hand positioning, and adjust the feedback on the depressable button. When the button is pressed in certain situations, such as if you pick up objects in a virtual game, the controller will present an opposing force against the player’s input depending on the object that can let players feel the size and texture of the virtual object.
Developers will surely have some pretty unique ideas on how to include the force feedback motion sensor in their games. Just imagine in a survival horror game where this sensor acts as a button that will be used to open a door, imagine the door requiring some strength to open it, a developer can use this new feature along with a nasty creature on the other side closing the door with so much force you can’t open it, this is a way that a developer can improve the player’s interaction with the game.
This new feature open up many possibilities and will be a game changer for VR fans. How would you like this feature to be implemented? Tell me about it in the comment section below.
Read the full article at Siliconera
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