Forums » VR
VR and mouse input
I play with a gamepad on the Oculus Go. However, I greatly dislike using head tracking to move the mouse cursor, and this appears to be mandatory when using a gamepad. I would much prefer to use the Go controller for this. Possible?
NOTE: In Go's main menus, switching back and forth between using head tracking and using the controller for mouse movement is easy: Press the gamepad button, and it switches to head tracking. Press the Go controller trigger, and it switches to the controller. It seems that this behavior could be safely mimicked while in the PDA.
NOTE: In Go's main menus, switching back and forth between using head tracking and using the controller for mouse movement is easy: Press the gamepad button, and it switches to head tracking. Press the Go controller trigger, and it switches to the controller. It seems that this behavior could be safely mimicked while in the PDA.
D-PAD is the recommended UI navigation model (not head), although we do technically have a mouse-control option via analog joystick inputs as well. I'm not 100% sure what is enabled on VR by default, right now, but have you tried moving the analog sticks around, while sitting in the station/PDA UI?
@yodaofborg
I tried the DPAD, but I find it to be much slower than the head tracking pointer. Also, the head tracking pointer interferes with the input focus of elements when trying to use the DPAD (super annoying). I can get exactly what I want by popping a battery out of my controller, then the OGo controller works perfectly as a mouse pointer. I can reach hunt-and-peck speeds on a virtual keyboard with it (2-3 times faster than the head tracking pointer, and MUCH faster than DPAD).
Yes, this one was a toss-up between issue and suggestion. However my neck says it's an issue. ;-)
@incarnate
First, thanks for the great game. I haven't been playing long, but I'm enjoying myself so far.
Joysticks do nothing in the PDA. The DPAD is too slow/frustrating for me (head tracking messes with element focus, and focus indication is too subtle). The head tracking pointer works well (and can't be shut off without disconnecting the gamepad), but it's a pain in the neck (literally).
With the gamepad connected, the OGo controller works for everything except mouse tracking. With the gamepad disconnected, the OGo controller also works for mouse tracking - and it works really well. It would be great if VO switched back and forth between the two pointer modes like is normally handled on the OGo - press a button on the gamepad and it's in head tracking pointer mode, or press a trigger on the OGo controller and it's in OGo controller pointing mode.
I tried the DPAD, but I find it to be much slower than the head tracking pointer. Also, the head tracking pointer interferes with the input focus of elements when trying to use the DPAD (super annoying). I can get exactly what I want by popping a battery out of my controller, then the OGo controller works perfectly as a mouse pointer. I can reach hunt-and-peck speeds on a virtual keyboard with it (2-3 times faster than the head tracking pointer, and MUCH faster than DPAD).
Yes, this one was a toss-up between issue and suggestion. However my neck says it's an issue. ;-)
@incarnate
First, thanks for the great game. I haven't been playing long, but I'm enjoying myself so far.
Joysticks do nothing in the PDA. The DPAD is too slow/frustrating for me (head tracking messes with element focus, and focus indication is too subtle). The head tracking pointer works well (and can't be shut off without disconnecting the gamepad), but it's a pain in the neck (literally).
With the gamepad connected, the OGo controller works for everything except mouse tracking. With the gamepad disconnected, the OGo controller also works for mouse tracking - and it works really well. It would be great if VO switched back and forth between the two pointer modes like is normally handled on the OGo - press a button on the gamepad and it's in head tracking pointer mode, or press a trigger on the OGo controller and it's in OGo controller pointing mode.
I'll have to revisit this, and see what the current state is like, and what we might do to tweak things.
We did also have some "UX mandates" from platform-providers are various points in time, like "thou shalt have gaze-based selection", which may have influenced things like this, outside of our own design goals.
I personally get around with the DPAD, but I'll check on the analog-stick-mouse and Go controller situation. Really though, I don't want people to have to fumble around and find the Go controller, while wearing their headset, to have a decent UI experience. If that's the best option, then there has to be a better solution.
We did also have some "UX mandates" from platform-providers are various points in time, like "thou shalt have gaze-based selection", which may have influenced things like this, outside of our own design goals.
I personally get around with the DPAD, but I'll check on the analog-stick-mouse and Go controller situation. Really though, I don't want people to have to fumble around and find the Go controller, while wearing their headset, to have a decent UI experience. If that's the best option, then there has to be a better solution.
Thanks for looking into this.
Using the Go controller along with a gamepad is a good experience for me. The controller has a small wrist lanyard. When using the gamepad, I just let it dangle off my wrist. When I need to do some complex pointing (e.g. virtual keyboard), I flip it into my hand, and then drop it when I'm finished. It couldn't be more natural (IMHO). This is how the Go is designed to be used, and I think anyone using it heavily will probably be comfortable using the Go controller as a mouse.
Here's a list of a few gamepad enabled apps that allow head tracking, or the Go controller for cursor control (by pressing a button on the respective device):
Oculus Browser
Oculus TV
Elevator to the Moon
RUSH
Overtake: Traffic Racing
Here's a few other gamepad enabled apps, with different behavior:
End Space: No head tracking for cursor control. Menus can be selected with the Go controller, or by using buttons on the gamepad. The menus are simple, and focus indication is excellent, so I tend to just use the gamepad.
Vendetta Online VR: Within the PDA, it's locked into head tracking mode (with a gamepad attached). This is especially unpleasant when using the virtual keyboard.
Oculus Arcade: Locked into head tracking mode (and gamepad is required). However there's not much selecting going on, so that's fine.
Oculus Rooms: Oculus controller required for cursor control.
Using the Go controller along with a gamepad is a good experience for me. The controller has a small wrist lanyard. When using the gamepad, I just let it dangle off my wrist. When I need to do some complex pointing (e.g. virtual keyboard), I flip it into my hand, and then drop it when I'm finished. It couldn't be more natural (IMHO). This is how the Go is designed to be used, and I think anyone using it heavily will probably be comfortable using the Go controller as a mouse.
Here's a list of a few gamepad enabled apps that allow head tracking, or the Go controller for cursor control (by pressing a button on the respective device):
Oculus Browser
Oculus TV
Elevator to the Moon
RUSH
Overtake: Traffic Racing
Here's a few other gamepad enabled apps, with different behavior:
End Space: No head tracking for cursor control. Menus can be selected with the Go controller, or by using buttons on the gamepad. The menus are simple, and focus indication is excellent, so I tend to just use the gamepad.
Vendetta Online VR: Within the PDA, it's locked into head tracking mode (with a gamepad attached). This is especially unpleasant when using the virtual keyboard.
Oculus Arcade: Locked into head tracking mode (and gamepad is required). However there's not much selecting going on, so that's fine.
Oculus Rooms: Oculus controller required for cursor control.