The New York City-based virtual reality team TrinityVR wanted to improve the virtual reality experience, such as the one provided by fellow virtual reality gaming pioneers, Oculus VR. Oculus VR’s virtual reality goggles — or, “Head mounted displays” — introduced a new degree of realism in games, but, in a video introducing their latest product, TrinityVR said they felt the standard controller setup inhibited what virtual reality can really do for gaming. Their solution? The Trinity Magnum, a ‘gun’ which saw its first prototype to succession and is launching a Kickstarter for the project.
The goal for the Kickstarter is $60,000 USD to be reached by Aug. 20, 2014. Within the first 24 hours, the donations have matched one-sixth of that. A pledge of $80 will earn potential backers a software development kit for the controller.
The prototype has two joysticks, four buttons, and the gun’s trigger. It can be used with one or two hands. According to the kickstarter, it will be compatible with the DK2/CV1 Oculus Camera, PSEye, Microsoft’s Kinect, and “most webcams.” The developer also plans to integrate the Magnum with Unity, Unreal Engine, Mac, PC, and Linux.
Games Quail Hunt (Highly reminiscent of Duck Hunt) and Boot Camp are being developed first party, while fast-paced vehicle shooter Z0NE is the first third party title being developed by PixelRouter VR.
The Trinity Magnum will provide a “Dual-grip” design, complete with rumble support. According to a release from TrinityVR, the equipment will be easy to pick up, require easy set up, and cost under $100.
First person shooters are the focus for Trinity Magnum, but a release said that it is very much compatible with games from various genres. Co-founder of TrinityVR, Julian Voyln, said he thinks virtual reality gaming is the future. He said the Trinity Magnum will make first person experiences more immersive for those willing to cross into the virtual reality realm, and his hopes for the product are bright:
Through developer support — and with the Magnum’s low price point — we expect to support the incremental growth of first-person motion-controlled content in VR.