A very interesting patent has just been filed by Microsoft. The latter concerns a glove intended for virtual reality, without specifying which device it is intended for. Nevertheless, we imagine that Xbox consoles could be compatible. In addition, the glove would offer haptic feedback that would make it possible to feel the objects with which the user interacts.
The most nostalgic may remember Nintendo’s mythical Power Glove which, if it did not meet with phenomenal success, had the merit of offering revolutionary technology for its time. Revolutionary, but also avant-garde, since it took about twenty years before virtual reality really came to settle in the video game industry. On PC first, with the reference that is today the Oculus Rift, but also on PlayStation with PSVR.
Precisely, while Sony recently revealed the first information concerning the PSVR 2, Microsoft seems, if not lagging behind, probably disinterested in the technology. At least on the surface because, behind the scenes, the Redmond firm is working on new devices including… a homemade Power Glove. In any case, this is the impression given by a recent patent filed by the manufacturer, which looks like the Nintendo glove. Soberly called “VR Glove” (for “virtual reality glove”) the document describes precisely this.
Microsoft wants to develop a VR glove for the Xbox
As you can imagine, the glove therefore allows you to interact with objects in virtual reality, in particular by catching them directly with your fingers rather than pressing a simple button as is currently the case. But the main argument of the VR Glove is undoubtedly the haptic feedback it sends to the user’s knuckles, which promises optimal immersion in the virtual universe.
On the same subject: Xbox Series X and S — Microsoft wants to take inspiration from the DualSense of the PS5 to improve its controller
In addition, Microsoft does not intend its invention only for video games, since the firm also mentions a use for professionals through Hololens. However, through the acquisition of studios like Bethesda, openly interested in VR, the manufacturer could seek to catch up with the competition. It should also be remembered that this is only a patent for the time being, and that nothing says that the product will be officially launched on the market.
Source: Patently Apple