When the Oculus Rift was released earlier the year, the general public applauded the company's venture into virtual reality. Not only was it a courageous move, but it showed the public what VR was capable of. But even with the great reviews and positive opinions, there was something missing with it.
That is, that owners would only see their virtual environment without actually interacting with it. This issue is part of why the Rift's competitors have been selling more. Because while there might not have been as much power in the Samsung Gear VR, it did offer a means to actually play games.
Enter the Touch controllers for the Oculus Rift, which is exactly what it sounds like. The controllers allow wearers some movement in the game that is more than just head gestures. But they do come at a price - US$200 - to add to the already relatively expensive US$600 system.
As Polygon notes, the Oculus Rift was released just a week earlier than the HTC Vive but was virtually made irrelevant by that point simply because of its lack of controllers. The importance of the same now seems obvious, but Oculus did not think much of competition back then. And instead of being the trendsetter it once was, the company is playing catch up instead.
The Touch controllers come in pairs, with one specifically designed for the right hand and another for the left. A wrist strap is included in the purchase, which should be taken advantage of. The purchase also includes two AA batteries, a second sensor and another accessory that connects the Touch controllers to a Rock Band guitar.
Each controller has an analog stick and two face buttons. Each also features its own set of triggers, where one's index finger and a middle finger should rest. The left one also sports a menu button, while the right hosts the Oculus Home button. There are a lot of items to get used to, but the controllers themselves rest comfortably in hand.
It might take some getting used to, but not much movement is required with the Touch controllers. Because there is a specific place to rest each finger, the machine knows when one is out of place - even without pressing the button - and interprets this as an action in the virtual world. For example, when an index finger is lifted, it is considered pointing by the Oculus Rift.
As Fortune notes, this is what truly sets the Touch controllers apart. Not only does it know when the user pushes a button, but it also interprets other movements. Theoretically, players will get more of an experience from the system by making things more realistic. Imagine picking up an item in virtual reality the same way it would be in actuality - that instead of pressing a button, users will get closer to actually grasping something.
Moreover, powering the controllers via batteries lessens the mess of extra cables and also eliminates the struggle of having to recharge. With other consoles, players have a harder time to set up the system or have to wait until the controllers have more juice to continue playing. The Oculus Touch controllers eliminate these nuances.
