Sony Unveils its Next-Generation PlayStation VR Controller for PS5

Sony introduced its first VR Playstation about four years ago, and since then, there has been tremendous advancement in the game itself. Last month, Sony revealed its next generation of VR on PlayStation5, capable of almost fulfilling Sony’s mission of a stronger sense of presence and deeper immersion for the players. In the announcement, the company talked about the simplified setup and the improved ease-of-use of the PS5 VR. This time, the company has revealed the details on the PS5 VR controllers through a blog post on Sony PS’s official website.

The All-New PS5 VR

On February 23rd, Sony gave out some information on its upcoming launch, the VR for PS5. The company said that the new VR will have a simple setup, and a single cord is enough to connect the PS5 with the VR. The next-generation VR got some new and innovative changes made to it, like a better resolution to provide an even better visual experience, tracking, input, etc. Sony also talked about its new controllers, including some of the DualSense features.

PS5 VR Controllers

According to Sony, the new VR controllers are the main attraction of its next-generation VR for PlayStation. These controllers are the reflection of what Sony has been trying to deliver to its customer in the form of Virtual Reality. The controllers are incorporated with the features of DualSense and are going to change the feel and realistic experience of gaming for the PS5 VR players.

The Innovative Design

The design of the controller is completely different from the traditional gaming remotes. It is of the shape of an ‘orb’ as described by Sony and is a two-piece set that goes into both left and right hands. The controllers are based on the concept of ergonomics, such that these are comfortable to hold for a longer time. The team behind the design of the controller made sure to test the controllers on different sets of hands to make them fit on every size of hands.

“SIE’s Product, Engineering, and Design teams have collaborated to build our new VR controller from the ground up to make a huge leap from current-gen VR gaming. Prototypes of our new VR controller will be in the hands of the development community soon, and we can’t wait to see what ideas they come up with and how the controller helps bring their imagination to life!” said Hideaki Nishino, the head of the platform planning and management at PlayStation.

New Features Introduced

The new controllers have inherited the adaptive trigger technology from the DualSense PS5 controller to add the palpable tension and make the gaming experience even more realistic. According to Sony, with the new controllers, there is no restriction for the players on how they should move their hands to play the games. The controllers come with haptic feedback and finger touch detection, and the controllers have a ring at the bottom of the controller. The headset of the VR set will track the controllers through this ring. The touch-sensitive areas included in the controllers are made to detect where the players place their thumb, index, and middle fingers.

Talking about the buttons on the left and the right controller, the left controller includes the usual triangle and square buttons, L1, L2, and a Create button as well as an analog stick. The right controller includes the other analog stick. It has similar cross and circle buttons, R1, R2 like the traditional controllers, and also the Options button. The L1 and R1 buttons on the controllers have been labeled as “grip”. This grip button is to pick up items in-game.

For now, Sony has only talked about the controllers, and there is no information on the PS5 VR headset as yet. Though the testing of the next-generation is currently going on, there is no news of if Sony will launch the PS5 VR any time sooner or in 2021. Since the information on the VR controllers is already out, we can expect the company to reveal the information on the VR headset in the coming months.