The Connect 2022 highlighted the new controllers of the Meta Quest Pro and the least we can say is that the on-board technology is top notch! Meta did not specify the full extent of the functionalities of its new controllers during the conference, at the risk of slipping into the “too technical” and therefore divisive press release. It was during a presentation for developers that Mark Zuckerberg’s firm hinted the possibilities of its new controllers.
Let’s start with haptics, know that it is “localized”in other words, it has 3 separate motors :
- 2 linear resonant actuators (LRA)one for the thumb, the other for the index finger;
- 1 moving coil modulator (VCM) in the handle.
If you’ve ever dabbled in the PS5, you already know the principle, to make you feel what you touch Or where you are walking. In the case of Meta Quest Proyou guessed it, feel the weight of the object held in your hand or the texture of anything you can touch.
Meta even claims that the software part is able to play audio and treat it as data, then allowing like haptic jackets to convert sound into vibrations. Another feature that was not revealed during the Connect 2022 : the detection of the index. The trigger sensor is able to follow the sliding and curvature of the index fingermeaning by this more extensive possible interactions and a better natural feeling.
As for the handle, it is equipped with a pressure sensor that can possibly detect up to 6 N (Newtons, a unit measuring force). Thereby, it will be possible to squeeze objects that would be held between the thumb and the fingeranother step forward for immersion!
Located at the base of the controller, another force sensor can detect up to 2 N. This is which will allow you to use the base of the controller as a marker to write on your whiteboards. Let’s go even further! The Meta Quest Pro will take supports simultaneous tracking of gamepads and hands via a future update. This new feature could allow everyone to use one hand and one controller simultaneouslypotentially useful for games like table tennis and golf.
You are going to tell us that the Meta Quest Pro is above all intended for professionals and that it is not intended as a base for playing… but the Quest Pro controllers, the Touch Proare compatible with the Meta Quest 2which means that each game developer can decide whether or not to take into account said controllers by offering a personalized profile.
Finally, if developers have to settle for manually implementing these usage profiles at launch, a APIs will be published soon to provide much more detail to all.
If the Touch Pro interest you, they are included in the Meta Quest Pro box, but can also be purchased separately for €349.99 later this year for use with the Quest 2. And if the latter interests you, know that you can always afford it at the Fnac, Darty or Amazon for €449.99.