New information about the Prestige next-generation VR controller, including its unique design!

Sony Interactive Entertainment today posted a blog post by Senior Vice President (General Manager of Platform Planning & Management) - Hideaki Nishino about the new VR controller for the next generation VR system brought to you by PlayStation.

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Details of the new VR controller, which will play an important role in the recently announced next-generation virtual reality (VR) system for PS5, have been revealed.

Design

First of all, the next-generation VR controller has a unique design. It is an orb-shaped device that fits naturally in the hand when held, allowing a high degree of freedom of gameplay without interfering with hand movement, thus enabling a gaming experience like never before.

The controller is also ergonomically designed to provide a balanced and comfortable fit when held in the hand. The controller has been tested on hands of all sizes, drawing on the knowledge gained from decades of PlayStation platform controllers. The result is this iconic design that will revolutionize the VR gaming experience.

Distinctive Features

The new VR controller allows players to feel and control games more intuitively than ever before, and its distinctive features that enable the next-generation VR gaming experience, including those that follow the DualSense wireless controller, are introduced below.

■Adaptive triggers
Each of the left and right VR controllers has an adaptive trigger button, which, like the DualSense wireless controller, provides resistance when pushed in, although those who have played PS5 games will be familiar with the L2 or R2 buttons, For example, when shooting a bow in a game, you can feel the pull of its string at your fingertips. By applying this feature to VR, the gaming experience is empowered to a new level.

■Haptic Feedback
Haptic feedback optimized for the new VR controller geometry allows for more powerful or tactile and nuanced expression of every feel in the game. The difference in feel, whether it is the sensation of traversing a desert littered with rocks or exchanging fists in a melee attack, can be clearly felt, further accentuating the visuals and audio that are the cornerstone of the VR experience.

■Finger touch function
The controller is equipped with a function that recognizes fingers just by touching them without pressing them, in three locations where the thumb, index, and middle fingers are placed, enabling natural gesture-based operation during game play.

■Tracking
The VR headset tracks the VR controller using tracking functions scattered on the orb surface.

Analog Stick/Action Buttons
The left controller has an analog stick, △ button, □ button, Grip button (L1), Trigger button (L2), and Create button. The right controller has an analog stick, x button, 0 button, grip button (R1), trigger button (R2), and option button. The grip button can be used, for example, to "grab" objects in the game.

A prototype version of the controller will soon be in the hands of game developers. The attention is focused on all of the great ideas that will make use of this controller.
For more information on next-generation VR for PS5, stay tuned for future announcements.