Microsoft is exploring realistic VR haptics with this wrist-mounted gadget

Virtual Reality (VR) headsets like Oculus Quest 2 and Valve Index are on top of their game, but the touch controllers that come with those devices still feel a little disconnected. A new design from Microsoft’s research division could make the haptics of VR just as realistic as its visuals with a design that puts a motorised handle on your wrist.

At the heart of the new Haptic Pivot controller is a motorised hinge and handle system that sits on your wrist, as Endgadget reports. The handle includes a suite of capacitive touch sensors that allow it to detect when you touch and release an object in VR.

What’s great about this new design is that it can move as fast as you need it to keep up with your movements. This means that the controller will be in sync with whatever is going on on-screen.