Sony unveils the PlayStation VR Aim Controller, a new peripheral intended to make first-person shooters even more immersive and engaging in virtual reality.
One of the many highlights of Sony's conference at E3 2016 was the footage we saw of projects in development for PlayStation VR. Between exclusive titles like Batman: Arkham VR and content set for big releases like Resident Evil 7, the tech looks very impressive— and a new peripheral intended to complement the headset seems like a great addition.
The PlayStation VR Aim Controller was apparently developed by indie studio Impulse Gear in collaboration with Soony Interactive Entertainment. Impulse Gear is relatively small and relatively new on the scene, but made a big impact at this year's E3 thanks to the trailer for its first game, Farpoint.
Farpoint is an immersive FPS set on a distant planet, which will take full advantage of PlayStation VR hardware. To ensure that the game's gunplay is up to the high standards of the rest of the experience, the team felt that a specialized peripheral was necessary.
The PlayStation VR Aim Controller looks vaguely similar to the Sharp Shooter accessory released for the PlayStation 3, thanks in large part to its white plastic casing and the colorful ball used to track the player's aim. However, its physical design resembles the Wii Zapper rather than any of Sony's previous output.
Impulse Gear co-founder Seth Luisi wrote that the Aim Controller offers "an entirely new way to play games" in a post on the PlayStation Blog. According to him, the peripheral allows players to aim exactly as they would in real life and see those movements translate to the screen.
"How you hold and where you point the controller are directly matched in the game," writes Luisi. "This allows you to do things in Farpoint that just are not possible in a standard FPS game. It also provides an unbelievable sense of presence in the virtual world."
While the Aim Controller is closely linked to Farpoint, the peripheral will likely be compatible with a number of games once the PlayStation VR library has been fleshed out. Using a controller while wearing a headset does tend to break immersion, so it makes sense for Sony to offer alternative avenues for developers to explore.
PlayStation VR is obviously a huge priority for Sony going forward, and this kind of project demonstrates that the company is committed to doing things the right way. Between fostering new talent at Impulse Gear and providing infrastructure to help virtual reality content shine, all signs point to the program being a big success.
Farpoint is currently in development for PlayStation 4.
Source: PlayStation Blog