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.
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.