New Look at Next-Gen VR on PlayStation 5

Last month, PlayStation revealed their plans to revamp PSVR for PlayStation 5. At that time, there were little (read: no) details on what that will look like, earlier this week, we PSVR believers were given a little treat: a glimpse at the new controllers that will be a part of PS5 PSVR. Check them out below:

Coming from the PlayStation Blog, it appears PS will be ditching the “wand” shape of the previous VR Move controllers, in favor of something more akin to an “orb” shape, as Hideaki Nishino aptly puts it. He also mentions that these controllers were designed with ergonomics in mind, so that they feel more comfortable to hold in each hand.

Lastly, and most importantly, Nishion lays out some of the features of the new VR controllers.

●      Adaptive triggers: 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. When you take that kind of mechanic and apply it to VR, the experience is amplified to the next level.

●       Haptic feedback: The new controller will have haptic feedback optimized for its form factor, making every sensation in the game world more impactful, textured and nuanced. When you’re traversing through 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.

●       Finger touch detection: 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.

●       Tracking: The VR controller is tracked by the new VR headset through a tracking ring across the bottom of the controller.

●       Action buttons / analog sticks: The Left controller contains one analog stick, the triangle and square buttons, a “grip” button (L1), 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.

Some of these features, like Haptic Feedback and Adaptive triggers, are similar to what you will find on the PS5 DualSense controller. There are, however, some notable new features, such as the finger touch detection, which sounds like it could be a powerful new addition to the PSVR tech suite. It should also be noted that the face buttons have been split up between the two controllers. As movement in VR will be significantly different, there are no D-Pad buttons, but splitting the face buttons (Triangle, Cross, Circle, Square) between the two hands may cause some confusion when first trying the new VR setup.

All-in-all, this sounds like a vast improvement over the PS Move controllers. After the slow downward spiral of the career of the PS Vita (R.I.P.), this is a welcome change. While we still have no information on when the new PSVR will be coming to PS5, it is pretty encouraging to see Sony is actually still supporting the technology.

Are you interested in the next-gen PSVR? Did you have PSVR on PS4? Do you think you’ll be making the jump when PSVR comes to PS5? Let’s talk all about it in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter or other social media @OmegaSpider227!