The era of technology feels like a rush-hour scenario, doesn’t it?. New products pop up every day, offering infinite possibilities for exploring.
The Gear VR Controller is one such; it brings so much excitement. So, are you asking the question, “Can I use the Gear VR Controller as a mouse?” We know you are, so we got all the answers ready.
To start with, VR technology is nothing short of miraculous. It has swiftly found its place in all walks of life – from architecture to the gaming industry, allowing us to experience space and games like never before.
VR gadgets often have similarities with the more traditional (dare we say – outdated) PC components. A VR headset is a futuristic monitor. A VR controller serves the same purpose as a mouse. VR today is mainly a smartphone thing, but why stop at phones? Could we not use our VR sets on the PC as well? Or even better! Can its components replace the standard ones we use for PCs?
The Gear VR is one of the more popular virtual reality systems on the market. Since the similarity is obvious, many of its users, like you, wonder if it’s possible to use the Gear VR controller as a mouse.
How Does a VR Controller Work?
Cutting-edge technology such as virtual reality is very complicated. Still, we’ll try to explain how it works in a slightly simplified manner. To experience VR, you need three things: a VR headset, a VR-compatible smartphone, and a controller.
The smartphone is the system’s backbone. It acts as the display and the processor. It plugs into the VR headset, which of course, goes on your head.
As the name suggests, the controller controls your field of view and your actions in whatever app it is that you’re running. Playing and pausing a movie, shooting the bad guys in a game – this is where the VR controller comes into play.
There are all kinds of differently shaped VR controllers, each meant for different use. They all have an ergonomic handle, buttons, and they are very similar on the technical side of things.
But let’s say you’re playing a shooting game – you can get attachments that make the VR controller look and feel like a gun or a rifle. These attachments take you that extra step further into the VR experience.
The Technology Behind VR
Now onto the technical side of things: what in the world is going on inside a VR system? Well, the first and most prominent part of the equation is that colossal thing strapped to your head.
The headset holds the phone to your head and, at the same time, acts as the processor and the display. The phone’s internals do all the work, whereas the headpiece contains a pair of special lenses to adjust your field of view.
The Smartphone
The smartphone is the brain behind the operation. Because of this, you will need a high-end, recent model – the newer, the better.
Apart from providing the display used in the VR system, the smartphone, by way of its cameras and in conjunction with the controller, tracks the movement of your hands (more on that later).
Of course, the smartphone’s internals process all of this and present it before your eyes as virtual reality.
The Headset
The headset is a relatively simple piece of the puzzle. Its primary purpose is to allow you to strap your smartphone to your head and to have the screen right before your eyes. The headset uses a pair of lenses, one for each eye, to achieve this. They produce an effect akin to zooming out the screen and making your field of view larger, significantly contributing to the system’s illusion of augmented reality.
The Controller
We all know what the controller does, but how does it work? Well, the main principle here is light tracking. Remember what we said earlier about the smartphone’s camera tracking movement?
It does this not by tracking your actual hands (although that might be an option in the future) but by the light emitted by the controller itself. To simplify things, imagine that your controller emits a laser beam.
The VR system continuously follows the movement of this laser beam. It uses it to extrapolate the actions of your hand. The smartphone then processes this data and transfers it inside the app, letting you fly that spaceship with a flick of your wrist.
Of course, VR controllers also have buttons and touchpads, but we doubt those need explaining.
What happens if you’re not playing a game? What does a VR controller do in that case? Well, it does pretty much the same job that a mouse would. You can use it to point and click, open apps, close them, etc.
VR is rapidly gaining momentum, becoming more popular and advanced with each passing day. Virtual Reality owes much of its popularity to the Gear VR system; it is one of the most accessible ways to experience VR technology.
The similarities between the Gear VR controller and a regular old mouse mentioned above have left many people wondering if they can use a Gear VR controller as a mouse. So – on to the topic at hand.
Can I Use Gear VR Controller as Mouse?
As we hinted at before, you can and you can’t. Let us explain why. When you are inside VR, you are using the Gear VR controller as a mouse. It serves the same function as a mouse. However, the difference is in its implementation. You could argue that it is more advanced, futuristic, perhaps even more ergonomic and intuitive.
However, using the Gear VR controller depends on the entire Gear VR system working in unison. You cannot use the VR controller as a standalone device.
This is because, as we previously explained, the Gear VR controller uses light and cameras to track hand movement, which is impossible if even one of the system’s components is missing.
However, there is some ongoing independent research on using the Gear VR controller as a mouse. A few tech freaks have been at it for quite some time, but they have yet to produce meaningful results.
And even if they succeed in turning the Gear VR into a substitute for a traditional mouse, there is one thing to remember. You lose the main attraction of the Gear VR – its ability to track hand movement.
This will leave you with only a few buttons and a trackpad in your hand. And while we’re on the subject of trackpads, the one on the Gear VR controller is only used for swiping, scrolling, browsing, and the like. It does not have the same abilities as a trackpad on a laptop.
Then again, if a handheld mouse is the device you’re looking for, don’t worry, as there is a more straightforward way. Let’s find out.
Is There an Alternative To Using the Gear VR as a Mouse?
Luckily, there is, and what’s most interesting is that it’s not even a recent invention. It’s called a handheld trackball mouse, and it’s like the Gear VR controller but with all of the VR functionality taken away.
A handheld trackball mouse fits nicely in your hand, and just like the Gear VR controller (and the traditional mouse), it has a couple of buttons. Where it differs, though, apart from the apparent lack of VR tech, is that in place of a trackpad, it uses a trackball. You can control the movements of the on-screen cursor by manipulating this large trackball with your thumb.
Some might see a ball as a relatively low-tech solution to the problem. Still, a good trackball mouse can be exact. Many professionals prefer to use them over trackpads, which can sometimes lack the necessary sensitivity.
The drawback to the handheld trackball mouse is that you can’t use it for gaming. Its most common use is in professional applications, especially when working on a big screen without access to a flat surface, such as making a presentation before a big crowd.
Some handheld trackball mice even incorporate a laser pointer to help with this type of work. However, remember that this laser pointer has nothing in common with the light source coming out of a VR controller; it’s simply a tool for pointing to things.
Is the Gear VR Controller Bluetooth?
The controller and the rest of the VR system indeed communicate via Bluetooth. This feature does not, however, present the entire picture.
While the data between the controller and headset/smartphone travels via Bluetooth, don’t get the impression that you can use the Gear VR controller on any Bluetooth-enabled device.
To put it bluntly – the controller can “talk” to Bluetooth devices. Still, the only language it understands is the VR language of tracking light. The Gear VR controller’s Bluetooth ability is useless for anything else unless all you’re interested in is pressing buttons.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is the Gear VR controller supported for windows?
Not at all. The Gear VR controller is specifically designed to function as a part of the Gear VR system, and outside of this system, it is practically useless. All of the attempts to use a Gear VR controller as a mouse have, so far, been third-party. As mentioned in this article, none of the shots were successful.
2. Will there be support for windows in the future?
Highly unlikely. As a matter of fact, the Gear VR system is currently out of production, and support will no longer be offered. Even the apps and videos made for Gear VR will be phased out and discontinued. So don’t get your hopes up.
3. Should I hope for a third-party solution?
While there are some enthusiastic attempts at enabling you to use a Gear VR controller as a mouse, none of them are currently usable. Even if someone manages to make a mouse out of the Gear VR controller, you can bet it will be clunky and buggy, as third-party solutions often are.
4. I am dead set on the idea of using a VR controller as a mouse. What should I do?
It’s as simple as getting a handheld trackball mouse. It does everything you would expect a VR controller would do, only without the hassle of actually getting it to work. You won’t feel like Tony Stark using it, but it gets the job done without any fuss.
Conclusion
The Gear VR controller was never meant to be used as a mouse. It’s strictly a part of the Virtual Reality ecosystem, and you should treat it as such. Unfortunately, controlling your PC by the movement of your wrists is a dream that has yet to come true.
On top of everything, the official support for the entire Gear VR system has been cut. The set is no longer in production, and all apps and videos will soon be discontinued.
With that in mind, we see no reason you should expect to use the Gear VR controller as a mouse in the future.
However, this does not mean that you should forget about VR entirely. Virtual reality technology is here to stay, and it will only get more advanced in the future.
Despite the discontinuation of Gear VR, the industry is already working on something even more refined.
Great things are coming for VR technology, so even though you can’t use a VR controller on your PC right now, we’re pretty confident that it will be a real possibility very soon.
In the meantime, get yourself a handheld trackball mouse. It does its job very well and might even give you a taste of what virtual reality technology is all about.
However, for the real thing, you will have to be patient for a little longer. Hopefully, it won’t be long until we all have floating virtual desktops that look like they were taken straight from a sci-fi movie.
