Which model will be the protagonist of the virtual reality game controller?

ByAmber Case

virtual realityHead mounted display developed to realize VROculus Rift"Has greatly advanced the development of VR games, but the development competition of the game controller for VR is getting more and more vigorous.

Virtual reality check: why controllers have not caught up to the Oculus Rift | The Verge
http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/23/5238118/virtual-reality-check-oculus-rift-hardware-ecosystem

Oculus Rift will be released in March 2013,High performance for the first timeVR game developers are collectively known for VR gamesHead mounted displayIt is now becoming the de facto standard for VR displays.


However, because Oculus Rift meets only the visual part in VR, when the game player tries to use the limbs and body, the virtual reality world collapses as a hallucidation instantly. Mr. Perm - Lucky, developer of Oculus Rift said, "In order to make the virtual reality world perfect, you need absolute controllers that can experience the virtual world naturally, but for now, There is no product that meets this requirement. "

Although it can not be said that there is only one existence, a controller that gathers a lot of support as a controller for VR game is appearing. Sixense's "Razer Hydra"Is its representative. Razer Hydra is a controller using a magnetic motion sensor, and the spherical base station realizes motion control by detecting the movement of the control grip held by the player in both hands.


Razer Hydra now counted as the protagonist of the VR game controller did not sell well just after release. However, as soon as Oculus Rift was released, the value was understood by game developers who were looking for the best controller for VR games and sold out shortly.

Razer Hydra initially had restrictions on the base station's detection capability limitation to a range of 3 feet (about 91 centimeters), whereas Sixense, recognizing the potential to be used for VR games, We have developed a wireless version of Razer Hydra which is compact and expanded its use range to 8 feet (about 2.4 meters), and has increased sales volume.

Sixense is newDeveloped STEM System VR game controller and are seeking investment with KickstarterWe have succeeded in gathering about 600,000 dollars (about 63 million yen) in excess of twice the target investment amount. You can check what kind of controller the STEM System is in the following movie.

STEM System: The Best Way to Interact with Virtual Worlds - YouTube


Sixense's CEO Amy Rubin said, "The STEM System is licensed free and makes it available to developers," demonstrating the desire to nurture the STEM System of the VR game controller into the de facto standard.

In addition, "Reactive Grip" developed by Tactical Haptics Inc. established by Dr. William Provancier of Utah University is licensed free. Reactive Grip attracts attention as a new VR game controller that can experience the friction and weight feeling virtually. Unfortunately Reactive GripFailure to collect target investment amount with KickstarterHowever, Dr. Pro Bancher is continuing to improve Reactive Grip, and he is still actively searching for investors.

Reactive Grip - Touch Feedback for VR & Video Games - YouTube


Also, there is a strong demand for "moving around the virtual reality world", Virtuix's "Virtuix OmniWalking devices such as "Walking device" are also being developed.

What is the Virtuix Omni? - YouTube


Furthermore, a system that reproduces fields in the virtual reality world using smartphones and markers installed on the ground "Atras"Has also been proposed.

Atlas Virtual Reality (KickStarter) - Oculus Rift - YouTube


Unlike the Oculus Rift that is playing the leading role in the visual function of the VR game, the VR game controller does not have products that can be said to be standard yet. So, Oculus Rift developer Lucky said, "Both controllers have the potential and it is too early to decide which is the best, and it's pretty good "If you do not see the controller we want, Oculus VR may embark on the controller development itself," he said.

But as Virtuix founder Jean Gottgelk does not think that Oculus Rift is an absolute product in the same way as there is no single product in the game controller. According to Goetgelk, in the next year, the head-mounted display market will be a big market that can collect development costs and make profits. In anticipation of that, it is rumored that manufacturers such as Sony and Samsung are developing their own head-mounted displays. In 2014, many excellent devices for VR games are likely to significantly expand the VR game market.