An in-depth look at the 3dRudder motion controller for PlayStation VR, launching this summer

This June, we’ll release the 3dRudder. This officially-licensed foot-powered motion controller for PlayStation VR will kick your experience up a notch across more than 25 compatible PS VR games. Here’s everything you need to know.

An idea born in architecture

“I’m an architect,” explains company co-founder Valerio Bonora of the peripheral’s origins. “10 years ago I was in charge of redesigning all the metal work of one of Paris’s historical monument – not the Eiffel tower, for those wondering!

“I was sat at my computer using my hands to zoom in and out and rotate the structure over and over while designing it. My wrists were aching, and I thought: ‘this all would be much more efficient if I could move around in my project with my feet, and keep my hands focused on designing’. That’s how I started drawing the first concept of the foot motion controller.”

Fast forward ten years and here we are with the 3dRudder, which is coming to PS4 soon.

The peripheral’s design

The device is topped with a slim circular platform onto which you rest your feet. This platform rests on a rounded bottom half. The combination makes for incredibly intuitive movement: you simply tilt your feet in the direction you want to move. The more angled the tilt, the faster you’ll move.

It allows for life-like motion. You can walk straight, sprint while taking a corner or stop exactly where you want to, in a smooth, seamless way.

No sticks, no buttons. Inside the device are IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) and pressure sensors which track your movements and translate them to in-game motion. We’ve demoed the 3dRudder at numerous shows and events, and everyone who has tried it has commended the seamlessness of the experience.

To use the 3dRudder, you just need to plug it in to your PS4 console via USB. No additional setup is necessary.

How it improves your PS VR gameplay

Shifting motion controls to your feet frees up both your hands for action, giving you the possibility to move and act simultaneously.

Imagine yourself playing a first-person shooter with a PS Move motion controller in each hand. You come under fire. Thanks to the 3dRudder you can use your feet to dodge incoming attacks and leave your hands to concentrate on firing back, while glancing round for additional enemies. It’s simply a more immersive experience.

“It provides a different kind of gameplay experience,” says Mixed Realms, the studio behind Sairento VR (coming soon to PS VR). “The 3dRudder is an innovative device that provides a whole new form of movement for VR gamers. We see it as the hoverboard for virtual reality experiences.”

Carbon Studio, the creator of The Wizards Enhanced Edition agrees. “The 3dRudder allows for a more free, precise, and intuitive control: besides freeing up the hands, the controller allows for more kinds of movement.”

25+ compatible games at launch

Ultimately, 3dRudder is all about offering a new, thrilling experience to PS VR players. We are happy to confirm 25 PS VR games will support 3dRudder at launch:

And this is only the beginning: more PS VR games will be getting 3dRudder support in the future. The 3dRudder will launch on 17^th June, with a RRP of £119/€119. Global pre-orders are now open on our website.