Valve, that company gamers both praise and criticise, is currently hosting its Steam Dev Days conference in Seattle. It’s a chance for the company to open up about their current plans as well as showcase upcoming hardware they have in the works. One specific type of hardware is especially noteworthy as it impacts virtual reality. A pair of prototype virtual reality controllers were demoed at the event and from what’s been said, it’s far more versatile than the current HTC Vive controllers.
One of the biggest differences is that the new controllers are able to detect when you open and close your hand, allowing you to grip and drop objects in game. Currently, users of the HTC Vive (or any other VR device) will have to trigger those actions by pressing a button, which while serving a purpose, does sort of ruin the immersion (imagine throwing a ball by pressing a button instead of loosening your grip). Oculus’ Touch controllers, which are finally releasing, are similarly able to simulate natural hand movement.
https://twitter.com/shawncwhiting/status/786350329356886016
The new Valve controllers also strap onto your hands as opposed to requiring you to grip them and are smaller than the controllers supplied with the Vive. the prototype seen in the images above is also clearly covered in sensors; most likely compatible with the current Vive and there are also some coloured LED lights serving an unknown function.
https://twitter.com/FoxBuchele/status/786349026912317441
The prototypes do also feature a trigger and a trackpad with 3 buttons for added functionality.
