PlayStation VR Aim Controller Review: An Excellent Tool That Lacks Software

Innovation in the video game industry comes in many different forms, and it often comes through controllers. After all, controlling the game you’re playing is a crucial facet of the medium. Game developers needn’t always limit themselves to buttons when Nintendo’s Wii proved in 2006 that motion controls are viable. Sony took an interest in motion controls too, and they’re revisiting them thanks to the onset of virtual reality gaming with their PlayStation VR Aim Controller.

PLAYSTATION VR AIM CONTROLLER REVIEW

Sony’s VR-based controller originally launched on May 16. As expected, the Aim requires Sony’s VR headset.

Not unlike Nintendo’s Zapper controllers of yesteryear, the Aim is (very loosely) modeled after a cartoonish gun, which is a design that unsurprisingly loans itself to shooters. However, all of the buttons on a standard DUALSHOCK4 controller are accounted for and repositioned to take advantage of the Aim’s unique figure.

One of the analog sticks, the right one on a standard PlayStation controller, points at you, alongside its accompanying X Button, Square Button, O Button and Triangle Button. Likewise, the left analog stick and the D-Pad are nestled on the other beam, albeit facing the same direction. A glowing ball protrudes from the front, allowing the PlayStation Camera to register the Aim Controller. Furthermore, the Aim provides feedback through its vibrations.

Currently, the flagship game for the device is Farpoint, a futuristic first-person shooter of unremarkable quality. However, there are four other titles that were developed around the Aim: Arizona Sunshine, Dick Wilde, ROM: Extraction and The Brookhaven Experiment. However, while the quality of the software built for the Aim certainly has room to improve, the device is well-equipped to enhance your experience.

The PlayStation VR Aim Controller bundle, which includes Farpoint, costs $79.99. If you already have a PlayStation 4 and its respective VR headset, the Aim is a recommendable buy, even if it hasn’t accumulated much of a library yet. However, if you lack the former two machines and aren’t enraptured with the idea of purchasing them and the Aim Controller bundle for five games, then you would be advised to wait until the Aim’s roster is more fleshed out.