Feature Request: SteamVR Tracking for Steam Controller (like PS4 Dual Shock 4)

[jashan]

I hope this is the best place to post this - I'll also link from a few other locations. I have been developing for VR since mid 2015 and always thought "tracked motion controllers or bust". Then, I played Hellblade VR and was surprised how immersive this game was. The only thing I found terribly annoying was that I couldn't see my controller in VR.

I had been aware that the PS4 / PSVR Dual Shock 4 controllers were tracked (I also develop for PSVR) but kind of ignored this possibility ... until I played Astro Bots. Moss also makes use of the tracked controller in a good way - but Astro Bots does so in a pretty near perfect way:

First of all, you can see your controller while playing in VR. We're used to that from the Vive wands - but it does make a huge difference with a more complex, traditional game controller. That alone already makes quite a big difference and if it was just that, it would already be a huge improvement over an experience like Hellblade, where I can't see the controller that I'm holding in my hands (when I play in VR).

But, Astro Bots also changes the controller into a tool, very much like what is done by "good VR games" with the "per hand motion tracked" controllers (Vive wands, Touch controllers and so forth).

The only really big problem with PSVR is that the tracking is based on a simple single stereo camera, and it shows.

I also have the Knuckles controller (EV3), and I think this is one important direction ... but honestly, I'm much less excited about hand tracking (without convincing haptic gloves that can simulate any sort of touch), than about a properly tracked game controller.

The simplicity of just picking up a game controller and playing a game may be taken for granted by most people - until you need to strap on two controllers while wearing a HMD (or you need to put on the HMD with the controllers strapped to your hands).

So, I was wondering if that is something you (=Valve) have already considered, or if it is something you might consider. I'd definitely want to build games for that (and it would make porting PSVR games back to Steam / PC much easier ;-) ).