Sony dips toes into VR, publishes patent for trackball foot controller

Sony has filed for patents that aim to provide an immersive experience to AR and VR users who have limited space. The patents are for two kinds of foot controllers - one uses a ball and the other uses a touch-sensitive surface.

The “trackball concept” uses two units with ball-shaped controllers that might have a built-in CPU and memory to capture users’ movement and mimic it in the game. As one can imagine, this controller seems to be for simple movements.

The other patent is for a bowl-shaped controller that features a touch-sensitive surface. The foot controller seems to have a curved surface that is supposed to be used with both feet. Further, as per the patent, this controller is for more complex movements, like, for instance, the user can sense the proximity to an in-game object.

Sony had filed these patents back in June 2022, and the designs were published a few days ago. The brand specified that the controllers can be used with PC, phone, tablet, consoles, and other devices. With that being said, it is not known yet if Sony plans to launch foot controllers any time soon.

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