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brendenfrank
Up and Coming
July 31, 2013

Questions/Concerns Regarding VR Input Devices

Hey guys,

I have been watching the development of input devices such as the razer hydra and had a few questions regarding how the community is anticipating and handling the future.

I see all of these experiments with these input devices but can't help but feel that the vast majority of the public will maybe have an oculus rift and that's it. So the problem is that releasing a game with other input support while awesome and great for VR, has very little business benefits unless some sort of all-in-one VR bundle were released to the public.

What are your guys's thoughts on this? I'm considering adding this sort of input support to my oculus implementation, but it's significantly different from conventional fps systems meaning it needs to be worth the effort and I'm concerned the market wont be there.

Then there's also the concern regarding all these new input devices surfacing and the likelyhood of each needing an implementation and use of its own sdk. What is your take with the potential burden software developers will have with supporting a plethora of devices if they want their game to market-viable?

    2 replies

    Krisper
    Up and Coming
    July 31, 2013
    I am by no means an expert, more a hobbyist, but I think some means of tracking our hands in game will become a must in many future VR games, at the moment that is easiest with the Razer Hydra, or LEAP, but this will change in the future. Which devices win out, who knows, very early days in this regards. As you said, ideally it would be bundled with the HMD.

    For my own projects in Unity, I am using the Razer Hydra, but am also allowing the game to be played without it. I also do the same for the Rift. Rather than make multiple versions, mine will work with or without it.
    Shigawire
    Up and Coming
    August 1, 2013
    I definitely understand your concerns, but as Krisper puts it it's still very early days.. and I agree with him, hand motion controllers - with haptic feedback - will be a crucial part of VR evolution. At the moment, Razer Hydra and Sixense Wireless are the best we have. Leap is good also, but will be very narrow in terms of what games support it. Hydra/Sixense is the best for the moment.

    I am hoping for the haptic vr hand controller that Sony placed a patent for in 2007 and 2011.. it's abandoned now, but possibly because of lacking funding, cost ratio, or low interest - or technical challenges.

    http://www.google.com/patents/US20110269544
    Was abandoned on the 1st of February 2013, because the patent-holder did not respond to office actions.
    DK2 ordered on March 19, 2014 at 11:03 AM PDT status: RECEIVED
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