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Touch vs Index controllers and why I prefer Touch

MowTin
Expert Trustee
When I first saw the knuckles/index controllers being demoed, I was wowed by them and couldn't wait to get my hands on them. Now that I have them, I think I prefer Touch and I'll explain why...

The Thumbsticks


1. Notice how the index is dimpled. You have a much better tactile feel and grip for your thumb. Both XBox One and PS4 controllers have this. Why mess with perfection?

2. With Touch your last two fingers, pinky and ring finger, both grip the end of the controller as you move the thumbstick giving you better leverage and control. For the Index, griping is grabbing so can't grab.

The buttons

1. Notice how the Touch has four distinctly labeled buttons A, B, Y, X just like the XBox controller or PS4 controller using symbols. Index has A, B for both. They can be mapped differently but in games, you can't get a convenient Y or X indicator for what button you need to press. 

Grabbing

1. On Touch, grab is a trigger type button with travel. You clearly feel it and know how much travel you're applying. The Index depends on pressure. If you squeeze it hard enough you'll feel some click like feedback. This creates ambiguity when holding something. If the pressure your applying drops below some threshold, you drop what you're holding. I find that I grab things I didn't intend to grab and drop things that I didn't intend to drop. 

Tracking your ring and index finger serves very little practical use in games. Game makers aren't going to want to use a feature that's exclusive to the Index. And it's hard to imagine what you would really do with those fingers in a game that would be meaningful. 

Strap

1. You have the extra hassle of slipping your hands into the traps and out of the straps. It's not a huge hassle but it feels like taking gloves off one at a time versus just putting the controller down. 

2. Because your hands are strapped in, you can't slide your thumb up and down as easily as you can with touch. 

Charging

When I finish playing with my Index I have to remember to plug the controllers in to charge. With Touch I use rechargeable batteries and I can always just swap out batteries when they get low. It takes about 3 hours to charge the Index controllers. But that's a matter of preference. Some people prefer the ps4 controllers vs xbox battery swap. 

Price

1. We all smash our controller onto the wall or a desk once in a while. So, it's better if they're cheaper to replace if you break them.

The bottom line is while they look better and have this cool looking finger tracking feature, they're not functionally better yet cost much more. And for some crazy reason, they abandoned controller conventions that have been around for decades. 

I'm not even going to discuss how bad the trackpad/d-pad thingy is because Touch doesn't have one so overall it's an advantage for the index. You can press it like a button and use it like the d-pad in the xbox and ps4 controllers. 

It may seem like I'm trashing the Index controllers but I'm not. They're a huge improvement over wands and finger tracking is cool. 
 



i7 9700k 3090 rtx   CV1, Rift-S, Index, G2
159 REPLIES 159

sraura
Heroic Explorer
Great review, thank you.

Yobiwan29
Adventurer
I agree with you. I've got a Quest, Rift S and I bought an Index. I've been very disappointed by the knuckles comfort and ergonomy. I didn't feel the sensation of freedom that reviewers mentionned. Returned it and kept my Oculus devices.
Oculus Quest 2 & 3 - MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge - i9 9900K - 32GB DDR4 3200 MHz - RTX 3080



But when you have Quest you have to put it on charge every time you take it off because it doesn’t use rechargeable batteries. Quest outsells the Rift S according to the claims Oculus can’t make enough of them. So if Oculuses top selling headset uses built in battery and sells better than RiftS how can Knuckles be wrong for having a built in batteries? It makes no sense to argue against Valve decision when it’s the same decision as Oculus. 


This is an identical post I've seen from Atmos and seems to indicate a lack of understanding.

Having a rechargeable lithium ion battery in an untethered headset is not a matter of choice, it's a fundamental requirement, you simply can't opt to put in rechargeable AA's for example because of the weight and capacity.
Rechargable AA's in hand controllers don't have a weight problem, in fact, when added to the Touch controllers, give a nice balanced feel, so have all the benefits, including the ability to hot swap and no need to remember to charge between play. They last for over 10 hours and I always have a pair of charged batteries on standby.

Having to charge the headset between plays is better than having to charge headset and controllers. plus, when using a plug-in battery pack to extent headset play, there's no risk of ever having to stop to recharge the controllers.

Using the same controllers for Rift-S has no limits on play time at all because of the replaceable batteries. Added to this, having a universal controller for both headsets has all the benefits listed above, plus the economies of manufacturing scale, reducing costs as opposed to separate designs.

Tbh I think this lack of understanding is something only a very few people would have. As has been said, you're increasingly looking like a twice or thrice banned poster. If so, I think for your own self respect, it's probably best not to stalk the forum of a company and hardware you dislike.

Zenbane
MVP
MVP




I know which one I prefer.



Yes, and you always prefer non-Oculus products for the wrong reasons. You champion "anything but Oculus" by default. How many new HMD's have you bought in the last 3 years trying to find one that is worth keeping? Vive, Pimax, Index. You spend more time and money trying to convince yourself that Oculus products are bad than you do actually enjoying this great technology.

Threads like this are for those with a firm and thorough understanding of both Virtual Reality and Technology, with an open mind.

Star-lizard
Rising Star
Not sure if this has been posted before but if you want a similar grip as the index
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Zenbane
MVP
MVP
@MowTin

This is a fantastic analysis. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the most analytical post I've ever seen you make! And I mean that as a compliment. That was a fantastic read. It was factual, to-the-point, and relatable. You need to do this more often, sir. Well written!

Anonymous
Not applicable
You couldn't make this shit up lmfao 😄

This is Atmos' fourth account and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last because when the mods ban this one he's bound to come back and create a fifth one.

This HAS to be some form of mental illness, and I should know because I have one myself. Atmos. Get help. You need it.

kojack
MVP
MVP
The Steam Controller did the same thing with the thumbstick, it's smooth domed convex instead of concave.
Concave gives better grip. Otherwise you need to go the hatswitch style and have a larger shape to push against.

Author: Oculus Monitor,  Auto Oculus Touch,  Forum Dark Mode, Phantom Touch Remover,  X-Plane Fixer
Hardware: Threadripper 1950x, MSI Gaming Trio 2080TI, Asrock X399 Taich
Headsets: Wrap 1200VR, DK1, DK2, CV1, Rift-S, GearVR, Go, Quest, Quest 2, Reverb G2

MowTin
Expert Trustee

Zenbane said:

@MowTin

This is a fantastic analysis. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the most analytical post I've ever seen you make! And I mean that as a compliment. That was a fantastic read. It was factual, to-the-point, and relatable. You need to do this more often, sir. Well written!





Ok, I'll take that as a compliment. I usually try to avoid long posts.
i7 9700k 3090 rtx   CV1, Rift-S, Index, G2