Sony Files Patent for Glove-Shaped VR Gaming Controller
Sony may be developing a new controller designed to accompany its AR/VR games. The company has filed a patent application for a gaming glove that uses hand and finger to dictate gameplay, Game Rant reported first.
A diagram of the glove included in the patent draws to mind Nintendo’s Power Glove, a contraption that didn’t quite work as well as intended, yet was nonetheless ahead of its time in 1989. That device had finger detection but also a controller built into the forearm.
Three decades later, Sony’s take on the gaming glove is expectedly more advanced. The company is aiming to create a more immersive VR experience, where its user can simply forget they’re even using a controller.
The fingers of the glove contain sensors, which will allow the user to move them within the game. According to the patent, Sony hasn’t yet addressed how this will work when a player’s fingers are obscured.
The glove builds on Sony’s recent efforts to amp up its controller offerings, not only in the VR space. The company recently put out the inclusivity-minded Access Controller, a project five years in the making.
In other gaming news, Netflix is officially testing gameplay on TV, PC and Mac.
