Following the recent reveal of PlayStation’s next-generation virtual reality system for PS5, the company has unveiled more details about the new controller.
The first thing you’ll notice with the next-gen VR controller is the unique design, which takes on an “orb” shape that allows you to hold the controller naturally while playing with a high degree of freedom.
There are no constraints with how you’re moving your hands, providing developers with the ability to create unique gameplay experiences. The new controller is designed with great ergonomics in mind, so it’s well-balanced and comfortable to hold.
The new VR controller enables players to feel and interact with games in a much more visceral way. There are several features, including key features from the DualSense controller.
Each VR controller (Left and Right) includes an adaptive trigger button that adds palpable tension when pressed, similar to what’s found in the DualSense controller. If you’ve played a PS5 game, you’ll be familiar with the tension in the L2 or R2 buttons when you press them, such as when you’re drawing your bow to fire an arrow.
The new controller will have haptic feedback optimised for its form factor, making every sensation in the game world more impactful, textured and nuanced. When you’re traversing through the rocky desert or trading blows in melee combat, you’ll feel the difference, magnifying the extraordinary visual and audio experience that’s so central to VR.
The controller can detect your fingers without any pressing in the areas where you place your thumb, index, or middle fingers. This enables you to make more natural gestures with your hands during gameplay.
The VR controller is tracked by the new VR headset through a tracking ring across the bottom of the controller.
The Left controller contains one analog stick, the triangle and square buttons, a “grip” button (L1), a trigger button (L2) and Create button. The Right controller contains one analog stick, the cross and circle buttons, a “grip” button (R1), trigger button (R2) and Options button. The “grip” button can be used to pick up in-game objects, as one example.