Valve shows off prototype VR controllers

The Vive VR headset won’t be Valve’s only entry into the Virtual Reality hardware market; the firm also has VR controllers in the works.

Unlike the Vive, which is set for a consumer launch later this year, Valve’s VR controllers are still in a prototype phase – Valve insists the controllers’ current utilitarian look will become refined by the time a full launch rolls around.

The two handheld wand-like controllers are topped with sensor-studded plates, which work in tandem with two motion-tracking wall sensors.

Each controller is equipped with a trackpad, trigger, a selection of buttons and a squeeze-detecting grip.

Valve isn’t the only firm using twin wand controllers to help players navigate through VR environments – Sony’s PlayStation Move motion controllers have been revived to work alongside the company’s VR headset competitor, Morpheus.

Lead/top image via The Verge, additional images via Gizmodo