March 10, 2022 – Pimax, a virtual reality (VR) hardware manufacturer and provider of ultra-wide field of view and high-resolution consumer VR devices, has recently announced that its ‘Sword Controller’ is finally available for purchase.
The Sword Controller is Pimax’s newest VR controller, designed to literally be wielded like a fencing sword. The company states that over the last 2 years it has listened to feedback from countless users and implemented many changes over the development of the controller.
Features of the Sword Controller include:
New ergonomic design – The new Sword includes an enhanced grip with an easy-to-use ergonomic design, allowing for a smoother experience and increased comfort.
Precise positioning – The Sword Controller utilizes 52 optical positioning chips to provide positioning accuracy of 0.3mm, as well as full compatibility with the Steam hardware ecosystem, according to the company.
Environmentally-friendly coating – The surface of the new handle features an “environmentally friendly” coating, which enhances the texture and grip of the controller, but does not affect the accuracy of positioning.
Upgraded button and trackpad design – The new Sword controller includes a menu button, home button, grip button and trigger button. In addition, it features a trackpad as opposed to a thumbstick, which Pimax states will help to provide a better gaming experience. As a result, the Sword Controller’s button and trackpad configuration means that it will be compatible with every mainstream platform VR game’s button configurations.
Changeable battery design – The Pimax Sword controller allows for the hot-swapping of its battery without losing a connection thanks to its dual replaceable lithium battery design, enabling continuous gameplay experiences without the worry of a low battery interrupting things.
As well as compatibility with its own ultra-wide FoV headsets such as the 5K Plus, 5K Super, Artisan, 8KX and 8K Plus, Pimax states that the Sword controller is fully compatible with a number of other VR headsets currently on the market, including HTC’s VIVE Pro, VIVE Pro 2 and VIVE Cosmos Elite, Varjo headsets (although Pimax did not specify exactly which Varjo devices), as well as Steam’s Valve Index HMD and support for versions 1.0 and 2.0 of SteamVR tracking.
The Sword Controller is available for purchase now in the US and EU for USD $300 (estimated shipping time: 5-7 days), with pre-order available in Japan (although batteries are not included in Japan orders and customers will have to purchase their own NP-BX1 lithium-ion batteries). However, due to what Pimax states is a delay in the product’s certification elsewhere, other countries will have to wait a little longer until the Sword Controller is available for sale in other regions.
For more information on Pimax and its virtual reality hardware offerings, please visit the company’s website.
Image credit: Pimax
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.