cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

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

Anonymous
Not applicable
That puppy in that video on the last page is ADORABLE!!! Heart

I love doggies!  ❤️

Just a post script to my video... I've added a comment in another thread regarding an issue when the controllers are kept pretty still and what appears to be then registered as not use, something akin to a sleep mode maybe.

I used to have this problem when moving very slowly and it seemed to be fixed with a previous update but the issue does still happen when controllers are held very stead for a short time.

This doesn't happen for me in any game but it's still there if I test for it. My guess is Oculus tweaked the settings but need another adjustment if anyone's still experiencing this. Perhaps add a slider so people can set there own sensitivity to registering no movement.

RuneSR2
Grand Champion


Just a post script to my video... I've added a comment in another thread regarding an issue when the controllers are kept pretty still and what appears to be then registered as not use, something akin to a sleep mode maybe.

I used to have this problem when moving very slowly and it seemed to be fixed with a previous update but the issue does still happen when controllers are held very stead for a short time.

This doesn't happen for me in any game but it's still there if I test for it. My guess is Oculus tweaked the settings but need another adjustment if anyone's still experiencing this. Perhaps add a slider so people can set there own sensitivity to registering no movement.




What happens if you hold your hands behind your back for let's say 30 - 60 seconds (where the cameras can't see your hands at all)? - Is the tracking system able to maintain some sort of "last known position" - or does something else happen? Tracking in front of the headset does look good in your video - soon Oculus may only need to focus on fixing the sound. 

Oculus Rift CV1, Valve Index & PSVR2, Asus Strix OC RTX™ 3090, i9-10900K (5.3Ghz), 32GB 3200MHz, 16TB SSD
"Ask not what VR can do for you, but what you can do for VR"

RedRizla
Honored Visionary


Just a post script to my video... I've added a comment in another thread regarding an issue when the controllers are kept pretty still and what appears to be then registered as not use, something akin to a sleep mode maybe.

I used to have this problem when moving very slowly and it seemed to be fixed with a previous update but the issue does still happen when controllers are held very stead for a short time.

This doesn't happen for me in any game but it's still there if I test for it. My guess is Oculus tweaked the settings but need another adjustment if anyone's still experiencing this. Perhaps add a slider so people can set there own sensitivity to registering no movement.



Yes, I just saw that thread which just goes to show there are still problems with inside out tracking. I don't get any of that with my 3 sensor setup which is why I was saying I felt it was the better option if you have space in your room. In the 2 months since Oculus Rift S launched, I still haven't seen inside out tracking to be as good as a 3 sensor setup.

Red, like I said in that thread and this it depends when and how often it happens as compared to how often and when issues arise with outside-on, you said you avoided areas where tracking was lost... I personally never experience the issue I've just described except when I've just tested for it outside of a game and with hands kept more still than I ever do in any game.

You have to be balanced when comparing the tracking solutions not just focusing on each problem that gets posted on the forum as if it's universal.

Plus the issue I've just described is neither occlusion nor accuracy related, it's settings relating to timing-out which needs addressing but is addressable.

Luciferous
Consultant
Looks like tracking improved a lot since launch from the video. Not that I want sensors but certainly don’t want to have to think about blind spots etc while in game.

If Oculus produce a higher end headset I could be tempted.



RedRizla
Honored Visionary
I know it's a different topic, but I just wish Oculus would support a higher end VR headset that used outside in tracking for those people who wanted it. I am looking to see what the HTC Cosmos can do, but I'm not sure if they could beat Oculus when it comes to getting inside out tracking to be spot on for everyone. Will be interesting to see what is said about the HTC Cosmos inside out tracking when it's launched.


RuneSR2 said:


What happens if you hold your hands behind your back for let's say 30 - 60 seconds (where the cameras can't see your hands at all)? - Is the tracking system able to maintain some sort of "last known position" - or does something else happen? Tracking in front of the headset does look good in your video - soon Oculus may only need to focus on fixing the sound. 


I'm shortly going off to London so I'll post a vid on Monday of hands behind back if it helps.

But tbh it's difficult to demonstrate that kind of thing on a vid as when they're behind your back you don't see that tracking is lost (which it is). I don't have a game that I'm aware of that would demonstrate lost tracking very well with something you're holding behind your back as it would just not be seen.

I'd also prefer to stick with real-world gaming and experiences... I'll go through my library on Monday and see if there's something that picks up this kind of controller positioning. But I think it's pretty much the same as when I put my hand under my desk, completely out of site.... the position of the controller locks into the position it was last registered, the controller's internal movement sensors seem to position it correctly under the desk, then after a second or so it locks in that position but continues to register attitudinal movement, so even below the desk, out of sight, I can continue to rotate my hand in any direction.

Then when pulling the controller out it snaps back into position as soon as line of sight is recovered. 

RedRizla
Honored Visionary
@DaftnDirect - Do you have a game that has a mirror in it? Would that show you were your hands are when held behind your back? VR Chat has a mirror in the bathroom 🙂

I'll have to come back to this on Monday Red... I'll see if I can dig out a webcam or something but like I say I'd prefer to stick to real gaming experiences.

I understand you guys want to see the tracking limits though even if it's not real-world... I suppose I would too if I wasn't using them!

Edit: I don't think I've ever posted a pic of myself, never mind webcam footage, well we'll see.