CES 2019 Hands-On with the 3dRudder for PlayStation VR: Full Locomotion for Your Feet

The 3dRudder for PlayStation VR aims to put your feet to work, giving new range of motion while freeing your hands for shooting and aiming.

[ccgr]

Looks cool, I wonder how much it will be

[The_Sage]

The article says $119.

[Leeroyw]

Anything that frees up movement for the hand controllers is welcome.

[Neonridr]

movement for the hand controllers has nothing to do with this. When you stand and hold a stick in one direction to move you aren't impeding the movement of the controllers in any way.

[Leeroyw]

What I mean is that i currently never use the move controllers for movement. I hate teleporting so i will use the dual shock wherever possible. This means I miss out on using the hand controllers for games like Skyrim VR etc. This device will now free those move controllers for me.

[Neonridr]

@Leeroyw - oh yeah I can see that if you are using the Dualshock, definitely.

[S2Killinit]

This should be great for FPS games like Firewall!

[Abnor_Mal]

This is so needed with the PSVR, I hate teleporting around in games. Hoping it will be compatible will most games if not all.

[Neonridr]

why is it so needed? Just have traditional locomotion where you hold a stick in a direction for movement.

[Knushwood Butt]

Which works fine for a game like Doom VFR, where you can use one stick for movement, and one for aiming, but not for a game like Deracine, where you are playing as an entity with the use of two independent hands, and ALSO need movement within the game environment.

So it is so needed for certain VR games / game types.

[Neonridr]

@Knushwood Butt - I have never played Deracine, so I am unfamiliar with your concept of movement. Don't you always have two independent hands in most VR titles? I will have to look up more on that game to understand what you are referring to.

Also I don't think you understand how Doom works in VR. You just aim with the move controller, you don't need to aim with a stick. I mean unless you are using a dualshock, which is a silly way to experience VR anyways.

-EDIT- I just looked up a video of Deracine. It looks like every other VR title out there. You teleport around and then interact with the environment with your VR hands. How would using the stick for movement instead of teleporting change that at all? Literally every VR title on PC behaves this way and works perfectly fine. VR titles like Deracine wouldn't work with a dualshock, they would require move controllers to use each hand anyways.

[Knushwood Butt]

I recently beat Doom VFR, so yes, I know how it works.

I played it with DS4, and doubt it supports play with Move controllers on PS4, but can't be bothered to check right now. Now I think about it, it uses head tracking for vertical aiming.

Deracine could work with sticks on the hand controolers, but it would be pretty immersion breaking, and if I had to imagine it, pretty weird. Hence why using your feet for that would be better.

I personally don't have a big issue with teleporting. In Arizona Sunshine I notice you can enable both at the same time. Sure, locomotion is more immersive.

[Neonridr]

@Knushwood - but then you would have to sit, how is using a stick immersion breaking to move around while you stand, but sitting down and using a pedal to move not be? Wouldn't everything be at the wrong height in game to you? You would be like 3 feet tall :P

I can see uses for this thing, possibly in some cockpit style of games, but for standing and walking around, this thing would seem kinda silly.

To each their own of course.

Also, Doom VFR supports Dualshock, Move and Aim controller options. Sorry, I could never play VR with a controller, unless it was a cockpit / seated game. But understand that some prefer it that way, so I can respect their decisions to use it.

[Knushwood Butt]

I've only ever sat while playing VR, and have quite a few titles.

When I'm 'in' the game, I'm not really concious of being sat down, because the visual input takes priority.

Doom VFR supports Aim controller? I shall have to check that out.

[Neonridr]

yeah, definitely might be worth a look for the aim controller support. Do you have to adjust your "height" in game when sitting down? Wouldn't the height of your character be an issue if you are so short?

[Knushwood Butt]

For the height thing, in Deracine you use a button to toggle standing/squatting but it's rarely used.

Doom VFR doesn't incorporate that, or jumping, but it too has teleport. How could I forget seen as it is such a core part of the gameplay?!

Oh, and Astrobot Rescue works just fine with DS4, as does Moss.

[Abnor_Mal]

Seems like the two of you are working out why I said the foot locomotion was needed. I have spinal problems and can't stand up for too long not actually walking as I have very little cartilage in my lower spine so I have nerve clusters that get pinched causing pain. So standing while playing games is not ideal for me. I tried to play Doom VFR standing with the Aim controller and couldn't do it for too long. So I play seated, while that game has directional sticks for movement, other games only use the move for teleporting. Some of the games that you use the Move with you also have to press buttons to turn yourself and Move is not ideal in my opinion. I would not like to play Skyrim with Move controllers for movement, but they're nice that you have full controls of your hands. Borderlands as of right now does not use the Aim, just Move and DS4. I would use the Move so I can tilt shoot at weird angles and the foot controller for movement. In VR I try to use the Move and Aim as much as possible if the game allows it, and always hated pressing buttons for turn and movement, so for me at least its needed. Sorry to cause a stir with my choice of words, and excuse the rambling as I just woke up.

[Neonridr]

@Abnor_Mal - sorry to hear about your back problems. I can see you getting some good use out of this then. Personally I can only play seated games when they are either cockpit style or games that don't require physical tracking at all (Astrobot, etc). That's just a personal choice of course because when I play VR I want the highest level of immersion possible. The snap turning vs smooth turning is a constant struggle for some, It really depends on the game for me, I can tolerate both. But usually I just turn my body in real life when I want to turn around. I might use the snap turning if I need to re-orient myself based on the real world.

@Knushwood - yeah, games like Moss and Astrobot I would definitely play sitting down anyways. And most certainly with a DS4 controller. Just like I did with RE7.

[jukins]

Cant help but feel like I have to stand with vr except driving games. Just gonna hold out hope sonys next psvr has improved motion controllers. Neat idea though

[Profchaos]

Looks cool but it's priced pretty high and looks a little awkward to use.

I stand in most games especially if they use the aim controller so this isn't for me

[Shikoku]

It's the rollen rocker for the nes that basically what it is and its fucking stupid.

[Neonridr]

yep.. this would only have a shred of use for cockpit style games. Maybe mech games and that's about it. Nobody is going to use this thing when they can actually stand and move around in VR.

[BenRC01]

So basically if you suck at Vr then this is for you. I was hammering demons at full clip with the ds4, same with borderlands and RIGS. So sick of snowflakes complaining about locomotion and VR sickness. Grow a pair of balls or go back to 2D.

[BLUEKNIFE]

I will give it a try