When Oculus releases its Touch controllers on December 6, the new peripherals are set to expand the Rift’s capabilities considerably. Using a standard set-up, the controllers only work when the player is facing forward, but the company recently announced plans to support both 360-degree tracking and room-scale experiences — and some new documentation has offered up more information on how this functionality will work.
To set up a 360-degree experience with two sensors, users are advised to place them in opposite corners of the room, facing each other. The sensors can be up to 10 feet apart, which produces a five-foot-square play area.
Oculus recommends that this set-up is used for seated experiences, according to a report from Tom’s Hardware. If players want to use their Rift to enjoy something at room scale, or engage in an experience that requires them to stand, they’re advised to purchase a third sensor.
When three sensors are in use, two should be placed in front of the player at a distance of 3 to 7 feet from one another. The third sensor should be placed behind the player, in either the left of right corner of the room — it doesn’t seem to matter which side is chosen, and this sensor can be up to 13 feet from the one in the opposite corner.
This configuration produces a play space of up to 8.2 feet by 8.2 feet. For comparison, the HTC Vive offers a maximum tracking area of 15 feet by 15 feet.
The documentation also reveals that while Oculus recommends the use of USB 3.0 ports when one or two sensors are being used, the third sensor should be connected to a USB 2.0 to help balance the tracking data load. For this reason, the extension cable bundled with the optional sensor is USB 2.0, rather than USB 3.0.
