Pimax says its Sword Lite VR Controllers entered mass production for release in October.
In its 2017 Kickstarter for the “8K” ultra-wide field of view VR headset, China-based startup Pimax promised rudimentary VR controllers for $200 extra, with buttons, a thumbstick, and trigger. In 2018 the company revealed a radical redesign resembling earlier prototypes of Valve’s Index controllers with the price announced as $300 and the release window slated for late 2019.
Flash forward to late 2021 and Pimax hasn’t yet shipped any controllers – the company has a history of overpromising on release schedules. Instead it offers bundles with Index controllers.
But Pimax now says the refined controllers, which it now calls Sword Lite, have actually entered mass production and are ready to ship at scale soon. Sword Sense, the higher end controllers, are apparently still in development too but it’s unclear how far out they really are.
Like with Pimax headsets, Sword Lite are tracked by two SteamVR Tracking base stations (available from Valve for $149 each). Sword Lite isn’t compatible with other SteamVR headsets though, this is an accessory to Pimax headsets only.
Sword Lite each use a rechargeable battery which can be hot swapped without losing connection to SteamVR. Pimax claims four hours of battery between charges, significantly lower than Oculus Touch or Valve Index.
Pimax says preorder customers will start getting Sword Lite in October and it will be available for general purchase soon after. The price hasn’t yet been revealed and Pimax wouldn’t provide the price when questioned.
