Sony has today unveiled new information about their next-generation PSVR controllers, including a detailed first look at the new design.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Senior VP of Platform Planning and Management Hideaki Nishino revealed that they have ditched the PS Move wand controllers in favour of an “orb” shaped design (seen below.) The change to a more ergonomic design will provide a natural and comfortable feel while maintaining a high level of accuracy; the design revamp will also grant more freedom and allow developers to create “unique gameplay experiences.”

Both controllers will feature the same haptic feedback and adaptive trigger technology found in the PS5’s DualSense controller. Each controller will contain one analog stick, two face buttons (triangle and square on the left, cross and circle on the right) and a trigger button (L2/R2). The right controller will feature the Options button, while the left controller will contain the Create button which was introduced with the DualSense. Nashino also mentions a “grip” button found on each controller, explaining that its use would be for actions such as picking up objects during gameplay.

Finger touch detection will also be incorporated into the controller; working similarly to the Valve Index’s knuckle controllers, it’s able to detect movement in the user’s thumb, index and middle fingers without the need to press any buttons. Nashino claims this will allow players to “make more natural gestures with your hands during gameplay.”

As for how the controllers will be tracked, it was revealed that this task is now handled by the headset itself which locates the position of tracking rings in the bottom of each controller. This could suggest that any sort of camera setup may not be needed, like headsets such as the Oculus Quest (albeit lacking portability.)

Last month, Sony revealed that a next-generation VR headset was in production, but that it wouldn’t be releasing in 2021, explaining that the early reveal was to assure developers of their commitment to the medium. It was also revealed that development kits for the new VR unit would begin shipping to developers shortly.

It’s likely that Sony decided to reveal it’s new VR controllers ahead of time so that nothing is leaked by the development community when developer kits start to arrive.

This is certainly not the last we’ll hear about the next-generation PSVR this year, with Nashino teasing that there’s “still much more to share” when it comes to the future of VR on PS5.