According to reports, Pico wants to change the primary input method for its own VR headset in the future. The VR division of TikTok owner ByteDacne is not alone in this.
VR controller as a conventional input device
The major input method for modern gadgets like Pico 4, Meta Quest 2, and Playstation VR 2 is likewise a controller. This could, however, alter in the future.
While Sony is the only major game developer to entirely forgo optional input without a haptic device in the PSVR 2, Meta has been working with hand tracking for years and achieved considerable improvements in the Quest 2.
From experiment to standard: Hand tracking?
Meta will keep emphasizing hand tracking and mixed reality in Quest 3. The Apple Vision Pro, which was unveiled at this year’s WWDC, will even entirely disregard VR controllers. Controls for the VR/AR headset include speech, eye tracking, and hand tracking.
Additionally gaining popularity among developers is hand tracking. COO Andrew Eiche stated to MIXED at Gamescom 2022 that hand tracking is the direction VR is going towards.
Hand tracking is encouraged by Pico.
Pico, a subsidiary of ByteDance, also intends to increase its investment in the free-form input technique. According to UploadVR, ByteDance receives a sizable amount of financing from studios that create games solely for controller control.
Pico encourages developers to employ hand tracking whenever possible, according to their official statement. Users must always have the option to use controller-based content, nevertheless.
Can we expect a paradigm shift?
For both hardware and software developers, implementing hand and finger tracking is far more difficult than using VR controllers.
A significant drawback of hand tracking over VR controllers is that it doesn’t have haptics. The accuracy and lack of feedback of modern hand tracking hinders immersion in several applications. The use of haptic controllers is here to stay.
Additionally, hand tracking requires a fresh rethink of existing VR games, which may be a laborious and potentially expensive undertaking for developers. If there is ever a transformation throughout the entire business, it will happen gradually across many years and device generations