Designed from the ground up to enable natural interactions, high-fidelity hand presence, and long-term comfort.
Valve Index Controllers let you reach out and grab an object directly, rather than relying on abstractions like triggers. Hold up two fingers to make the peace sign, or drop objects by just opening your hand - just like in real life.
Each controller uses 87 sensors to track hand position, finger position, motion, and pressure to determine user intent. All of these signals, combined with fine-tuned software and algorithms, give us a better understanding of how a player is holding and using the controllers.
Enabling natural and accurate open-handed throwing was a high priority for the team, and we used every sensor at our disposal. Optical and motion sensors provide velocity and trajectory, capacitive and force sensors help determine the intended release point, and our fine-tuned algorithms and software bring it all together into a usable input / output. The end result is an intuitive and natural-feeling throw.
The hand strap allows you to open your whole hand to drop or throw an object. This strap is easy to secure, and it adjusts at three points to fit a wide variety of hands - so you can focus on the game, and not hanging onto your controller.
Since these controllers are worn instead of held, during a play session you can take breaks - fully relaxing your hands because they don't need to constantly grip the controllers. As with all Valve Index hardware, the controller straps are made with an anti-microbial, moisture-wicking, and easy to clean fabric.
With a full complement of buttons, triggers, and thumbsticks, all of your favorite Steam titles will just work. With the new SteamVR Input System, developers and players can re-bind and customize controls for any controller with any game.
The main body of each controller is your grip input, with built-in force sensors tuned to detect a wide range of forces from a light touch to a firm squeeze. This not only improves natural actions like grabbing and throwing objects, but introduces new interactions like squeezing and crushing. If a developer or player prefers the grip to behave like a binary button, they can do so with haptic output.
The oval button on the face has force and capacitive sensors so it can be used as a trackpad, a scroll wheel, or as a simple big binary button with haptics. The force sensor enables analog actions such as pinching or pressing.