ProTubeVR, the Marseilles, France-based makers of the titular VR gunstock accessory, is hoping to make a splash later this month with a Kickstarter campaign for a new haptic devkit that promises to dial-up immersion in VR shooters.
Dubbed ForceTube, the device is designed to replace the butt of the original ProTubeVR stock, providing a haptic kickback to users when they shoot.
The company says ForceTube will first start devkit production after reaching its crowdfunding goal. A second iteration, which the company plans to deliver to backers (devkit V2), is slated to add “power and electronic upgrade.”
A full, consumer-ready product release is slated to launch by the end of 2019. This version is said to include what the company calls “some ‘non-essential’ features,” with the same main features of kick-back and rumble.
ForceTube is said to work natively on “some [PCVR] games” running through OpenVR or Oculus SDK. Currently the company has announced only one title with guaranteed support, the Early Access mil-sim shooter Onward.
A list of other natively supported games will be announced later, although the company holds that their ‘retro-compatibility tool’ will allow ForceTube to work in any SteamVR game by letting the player change and make game profiles.
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As for the hardware itself, not much is known at this time. The device is said to connect to PCs via Bluetooth, and will feature a battery life “longer than 8 hours under real intensive use.” Both low and high frequency rumble will be available, the company says, providing up to 60-newton kick force to your shoulder with a maximum of 100w power draw per shot.
“The manufacturing process is painful and complicated, but that’s why it’s a devkit,” ForceTubeVR says.
The company is remaining tight-lipped on further details, although we’re likely to learn more in the coming weeks leading up to launch, slated for sometime later this month.
YouTuber ‘The Irish Guerrilla’ recently published a short advert for ForceTube, showing the device in action while playing Onward.