Initial Thoughts on ‘Surreal Touch’ Vision Pro Controllers by Third-Party

The Surreal Touch is making waves as a Kickstarter-supported motion controller designed for the Vision Pro. With its initial shipment rolling out in December as planned, the first impressions are pouring in from users.

Nima Zeighami, a seasoned figure in the XR industry and the founder of the Vision Pro Owners Club on Twitter, is one of the early recipients. He was the 130th backer of the Surreal Touch Kickstarter, which successfully garnered $127,000 for its development. Zeighami shared his firsthand experience with us after receiving the production model of the controllers.

The Surreal Touch controllers employ internal cameras to track their position, communicating this data to the headset. This approach is reminiscent of Meta’s Touch Pro controllers. An SDK is anticipated soon, allowing developers to create VisionOS apps directly compatible with the controllers. Meanwhile, the controllers come with Windows-compatible software that streams PC VR content to Vision Pro, effectively enabling players to dive into SteamVR content with full controller support.

One standout feature, according to Zeighami, is the effortless PC VR streaming enabled by Surreal’s software suite. This includes the Surreal Link app on Vision Pro and the Surreal Streamer app for PC.

Setting up the Surreal Touch controllers to play SteamVR games on Vision Pro was a breeze, taking roughly 10 minutes, Zeighami noted. “Surreal Link is probably the most seamless and friction-free wireless VR experience I’ve encountered,” he added. Once set up, diving back into SteamVR took just about a minute. Overall, Zeighami was particularly impressed with the software’s capabilities.

He emphasized that the true allure of the Surreal Touch lies in its software rather than its hardware or tracking precision. “Creating a sophisticated motion controller is no small feat, but providing a wireless VR streaming app that genuinely ‘just works’ borders on extraordinary,” he expressed.

However, the precision of the controller tracking raises some concerns. Zeighami was pleased with the latency but felt the positional accuracy left room for improvement.

The manufacturer claims less than 10mm positional accuracy and less than 1° rotational accuracy. Zeighami didn’t encounter rotational issues, but he did experience frequent positional inaccuracies, sometimes surpassing 10cm. This typically occurred in challenging scenarios, such as aiming the controller at a blank ceiling or a reflective screen, or when the controller’s cameras were obstructed by his hand.

In terms of tracking, Zeighami found similarities with the original Magic Leap, which used a magnetically-tracked controller. “Surreal Touch reminds me of Magic Leap 1’s controller. It handles most scenarios adequately but tends to jitter and drift by a few centimeters,” he explained. While acceptable for many applications, this inconsistency renders competitive games and professional utilities less feasible.

For games with slower hand movements, the controllers perform admirably. However, fast-paced games might prove frustrating, as evident with Beat Saber, which became nearly unplayable due to tracking drift.

Despite tracking challenges, Zeighami commended the controllers for their build quality and feel. “They have a satisfying weight, and the joystick, buttons, and triggers are well-made,” he remarked, though he did mention minor flaws.

“The build feels mostly premium, but there’s room for improvement in engineering tolerances. My left controller’s plastic doesn’t align perfectly, and the grip triggers creak when fully pressed,” he noted.

Additionally, features like capacitive sensing are missing, preventing the controllers from detecting button or stick contact. Although not widely utilized in VR content, it’s a notable omission.

While PC VR streaming functions well, native use with VisionOS (not designed for controllers) offers a mixed experience.

Users can activate “cursor mode,” allowing them to navigate Vision Pro’s interface via the controller, but it mimics a mouse more than a laser pointer. Moreover, triggering the ‘Home’ action involves awkward maneuvers, either reaching for the headset button or dropping the controller to perform the gesture.

Currently, no VisionOS apps natively support the controllers, and Zeighami is skeptical about future support. “Developers on Vision Pro are unlikely to adopt the Surreal SDK due to niche appeal. SteamVR is the primary reason these controllers exist,” he explained.

Beyond Vision Pro, there’s potential for Surreal Touch to become the standard third-party motion controller for various VR headsets, thanks to self-tracking via onboard cameras. However, without a public SDK release, this idea remains theoretical.

On a positive note, the project’s timely delivery stands out, especially when considering many Kickstarter ventures face significant delays. For a first product, their market launch was executed commendably.

Zeighami also pondered whether the $300 price tag justifies owning the Surreal Touch for SteamVR gaming on Apple Vision Pro.

“Ultimately, is $300 worth it to play SteamVR games on your Apple Vision Pro? Absolutely,” he affirmed. Despite the 2016-era VR games, they look impressive on the Vision Pro, even compared to top-tier games on Quest 3.

He insisted, “For those choosing Vision Pro over Quest or owning both and eager to experience extensive PC VR, the Surreal Touch is the clear choice.” While the tracking falls short of market leaders and the overall quality needs enhancement, Zeighami maintains it’s still a compelling option for anyone eager to enjoy SteamVR on their Apple Vision Pro.