Ah, so here’s a weird one. I read that Sharp’s got this VR thing—something about haptic controllers—that they’re testing out in Japan? Kinda sounds like it’s trying to mimic touch, but with buttons that remind you of—well, buttons you’ve used before. Anyway, I found myself pondering it.
Apparently, these magic controllers can make you “feel” textures because they’ve slapped on, um, “multi-segmented tactile elements” right at your fingertips. It’s like, they vibrate in pattern-y ways. Smooth? Rough? That sort of stuff. Sharp claims it’s not quite like the real deal, but you know, tweak this and that, and boom! Different feels. Or so they say.
Some tech talk on their site chats about not waiting until it’s completely polished. Instead, they’re workshopping this with users. Like, “help us make it better,” which sounds wild when you think about it.
There’s a pic—showcases… something—but let’s not get caught in the weeds about it. Anywho, these gadgets are gonna come in pairs, left and right. Not delicate enough for finger ballet like those glove gizmos. No force feedback, no temperature play. Just saying.
Oh, but wait, they mention good ol’ sticks and buttons—your standard controller vibe. Also, zero clarity on how these things get tracked. Maybe with some common tracking mounts? It’s all a bit wishy-washy for now.
They’re doing some demo experiments. Whether these beauties hit the store is a mystery. No physical prototype sighted yet—just renders. They’re keen to let some folks in Japan try them out, though. Price tagged at ¥100,000, roughly $680. No guarantees on the final rollout, though—that’s one for the gamblers.
And then, get this—Sharp’s got quite a bit of XR history. Once the top display maker for Meta Quest 2’s headsets. Oh, and a side note, they paired up with NTT Docomo for some AR glasses called MiRZA in late 2024. Didn’t see that coming, but hey, life’s full of surprises.
