Just got an email from Pimax stating the following
Important Update:
In our efforts to optimize Capsense (individual finger tracking) capability for our Sword of VR controllers we have determined we will not be able to achieve the level of compatibility we set out to accomplish and will not include a Capsense capability in our Sword Controllers. Other prominent requests are to add a “B” button and a version with a joystick. We have decided not to create alternation versions of the Sword controller and will only release the trackpad version. We understand some of you may be disappointed with this decision and we sincerely apologize to those of you interested in a joystick version.
As a result, we are again offering refunds to those who request it. Those who want refunds please create a service ticket using this link: https://support.pimax.com/en/support/tickets/new
In the title please use “Sword Refund for backer number xxx ” (replace xxx with your backer number). All requests for refunds must be made before November 30th, 2021. Those we do not receive a request and still have an outstanding order for Sword controllers will receive the trackpad edition. You can submit a ticket title “Sword address confirmation ” and use the following format:
Name:
Address 1:
Address 2:
City:
State/Region:
Country:
Zip:
Phone:
Email:
For those who does not want to receive the trackpad edition nor refund, you may consider the Upgrade Plan :
Add on $179 to receive a pair of Index Controller.
If you wish to perform this, please contact with our Customer Service Team, with ticket title “Sword Upgrade Plan ”.
This a serious screw job the likes of Bret the Hitman Hart.
Tell me i’m reading this wrong!
I was reassured from PimaxUSA that the joysticks version wouod ve no problem and that they were electrically the same. Not to worry the Sword sense will not take too long after the swords.
I still haven’t received my base stations all on the fact that they wanted to ship them with the controllers to me when they were released.
4 years in I was super hopeful that the swordsense would arrive soon because the ergonomics of the Sword truly looks better than the index controllers (which I was forced to buy separately at inflated prices on ebay because Index wasnt selling in Canada at the time) all it needs is a joystick and two buttons to have parity with standard controls.
I really don’t like trackpads !
I was in utter disbelief in this news and I am heart broken. I don’t know what else to say.
Whats going to happen with my basestations now if I dont want the controllers ?
I said Sense made no sense because they were just going up against Index. I also mentioned ABXY was pretty much a standard. I questioned the viability of IFT.
If I read it right they are just reverting to Sword without IFT and basic haptics will be there, so where they were before the IFT addition.
Still think they should build a Sword mimi-stick but given the quality issues a big company like Valve has had, i can’t say i blame them for staying away. right now.
That said having observed a m-stick replacement on Index and having repaired my Touch m-stick (stick came loose), I can say the the IC stick’s mechanism is a lot smaller than the Oculus and I would offer potentially less sturdy under duress, I think. The smaller parts likely being a compromise because of all the extra sense stuff inside.
Can’t get into the details for about a month but on the controller the accuracy level for the capsense wasn’t high and that piece of the development was using a lot of talented resources.
Not exactly. It’s a fully tooled production proven design that has all sorts of useful future applications. As Elon Musk often has pointed out mass production can be much harder than the design.
The explanation is in there in that we weren’t getting good accuracy results for the capsense. So quite specific.
On the other part you selected just a part of the sentence - those details aren’t related to the controllers. It’s related to why our engineering resources are tasked, something that we will talk about in the latter part of October.
I think you missed my point. The implication of “we will talk more in a month” is obviously that you are working on new product, maybe a new HMD. Great, that’s cool. It makes sense most engineers would be working on that.
Given that Capsense is a niche feature, offering that as an “explanation” doesn’t really get you there in my opinion. Accuracy is something that can be improved via firmware.
You have been developing these controllers for years, you have demoed them several times, you have said they are production ready, but they are being delayed for a niche feature that is having what seems like software issues?
You guys are offering refunds, which is great, and I commend that, but capsense not being accurate isn’t the best explanation for no controllers when people have used controllers that lack capsense.
Its not an issue to me, I don’t have the cash invested, but its understandable that folk are confused. Like my initial comment said, no disrespect intended.
