Valve endorses PC motion controller

Valve has modified one of its most valuable game properties to make it compatible with a new PC-only motion controller.

The studio’s flagship title Left 4 Dead 2 will soon give consumers the choice to play the game using a new motion-reading controller developed by game peripheral firms Razer and Sixense.

The ‘Sixense Ultra Precise Motion Controller’ (pictured) is a dual-wielded peripheral that reads motion through an electromagnetic field sent out by a transmitter. Both Razer and Sixense say that the device is recognised as the first “true” one-to-one motion sensing and gesture recognition platform for the PC.

And Valve has given the PC-exclusive device a ringing endorsement by claiming that it surpasses the current motion control offering on consoles.

“With this controller, Razer and Sixense have created the most immersive way to play our games," said Chet Faliszek, Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2 team lead.

“For us and for our customers, this release represents motion-enabled gaming that’s more integrated and visceral than any platform has so far achieved,” he added.

The tech was first unveiled to the public at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show is Las Vegas, and was built as part of a multi-year technology partnership between Razar and Sixense.

Both firms say the device can track motion across all six axes, accurately positioning the controller within a millimetre-thin margin of error.

“The magnetic motion sensor technology combines precision and speed with the freedom of other motion sensing technologies to fill the gap between consoles and PC in terms of human interface devices,” said Razer president Robert Krakoff.

PC developers interested in integrating the tech are urged to email gamedevrelations@razerzone.com.

An SDK is already up on Steam.