Sony has filed three patents related to a new glove controller, presumably to work in tandem with PlayStation VR.
First spotted by NeoGAF user Rösti, the trademark encompasses a flex sensor to record finger movement, a pressure sensor to track if the user is touching a surface, and a module that relays said feedback back into the VR experience. Sony’s wearable concept would allow the “virtual gloves [to] be worn by multiple users in a multi-user game.”
“In such an implementation, users collaborating may use their gloves to touch objects, move objects, interface with surfaces, press on objects, squeeze objects, toss objects, make gesture actions or motions, or the like.”
It should be noted that the patent was submitted back in October of 2014, before being published yesterday by the US Patent & Trademark office. Moreover, the proposed glove controller may very well have been a part of PS VR’s R&D, before Sony opted to can — or at the very least shelve — any further development.
In related news, Sony’s own Richard Marks has been reflecting on the device’s presentation at PSX 2015 and, in particular, the Spectator Mode. Alas, hardware failure affected the demonstration, and Marks firmly believes that “spectating in VR has [a big] future.”
“This thing we worked on was called Disc Battle, the whole idea we learned about was this stage set up that we had at the PlayStation Experience. Hopefully none of you were there! (laughs) because it didn’t quite go the way it was expected to go. The hardware had a failure.”
PlayStation VR is closing in on its purported 2016 release, with Sony poised to host a press event at next month’s GDC 2016.
[Sources: USPTO, NeoGAF, Vision Summit via Gamingbolt]
