P5 Virtual Controller Bundle Glove

Essential Reality’s P5 controller fits PC gaming like a glove, literally.

The future seems to be getting closer and closer.  The need for gimmicks in one of the fastest growing markets, the gaming industry, is pushing technology to its limits.  The latest evidence?  Essential Reality’s P5 controller.  But this is no technological gimmick, this is a taste of a future once thought to stay in the realms of science fiction.

The P5 is a peripheral for PCs that looks like it jumped out of Spielberg’s Minority Report.  The first marketable ‘glove controller’, the P5 is technically a wearable mouse.  Gamers put the robotic P5 on as though it were brass knuckles for the entire hand.  Fingers slide through rings attached to the controller and a simple rubber band-like strap secures the hand to the base of the controller.  The controller connects via a serial cable to a foot and a half high base station that reads the movement of your hand via infra-red sensors.  Those movements are fed into the computer through a USB cable from the base station. 

Set-up was nearly plug-n-play, with only a set-up assistant to install from CDs.  Once everything is plugged in and loaded, the P5 can be calibrated to your liking.  Sensitivity for each finger can be adjusted, mouse clicks can be assigned to different digits, and sensitivity to hand movement can be customized.  These settings are actually saved on the base station instead of the CPU, so the P5 can roam freely from computer to computer without setting preferences for each machine, unlike your meddling little brother. 

So what games does the P5 work with?  Technically, anything that uses a mouse.  Realistically, only games that are P5 enabled.  Because the P5 can be used as a mouse, it can be substituted and used in most applications, but probably won’t be ideal for use in them.  The P5 does come with four P5 enabled games, but they are only demo versions.  The lineup includes Hitman 2, Tiger Hunt, Beachhead 2002, and Airlock. 

Using the P5 for the first time reminded me of the first time I played a first-person shooter with the mouse.  I overshot everything and had trouble with the simplest of navigations.  But after a few turns at Beachhead 2002, I was soon mowing down infantry as if they were an unkempt lawn on a hot summer day.  New P5 users may find the adjustment period frustrating, but if they stick with it, they’ll be in for a treat. 

The biggest hurdles to overcome with the P5 are its field of motion and sensitivity.  If an enemy is far to the right, you can’t move your own hand far to the right to adjust your perspective or you’ll end up moving out of the infra-red’s field of ‘vision’.  The P5 responds better to quick sudden movements then longer drawn out moves.  For example, moving the P5 quickly two inches to the left has a more dramatic effect then moving it slowly one foot to the left.  It can be counterintuitive, but wouldn’t work otherwise (unless you’d prefer infra-red sensors all over your room).

The P5 also allows for yaw, pitch, and roll sensitivity.  Imagine sitting in the cockpit of a 747.  Yaw turns the plane left and right, pitch adjusts upward and downward movements, and rolling sends the plane spinning on its own axis (like a barrelroll, but I wouldn’t suggest trying that in a 747 unless you want meat or fish dishes hitting the roof).  These features will make flight-sims and the P5 an absolute dream team once a flight-sim is P5 enabled. 

Although the P5 has four buttons on it (which I will discuss later), the real revolution in button-pushing comes with the finger control.  The default controls for most games has the index finger controlling the right click and the middle finger controlling the left click.  Simply bending your index finger in a trigger-pulling action unleashes a barrage of gunfire in shooters, and bending your middle finger fires missiles in Beachhead and propels the tank forward in Tiger Hunt.  Each game is different and uses the P5 in several different ways and combinations.  For instance, Hitman 2 controls sniper zoom by simultaneously bending the middle, ring, and pinky fingers while moving the P5 closer to the base station.  Some of the combos seem reserved for the most dexterous contortionists, but given time, even casual gamers can pick up the controls and become as limber as a concert pianist.  One of the basic P5 commands that users will become immediately accustomed to is the bending of the ring and pinky fingers to freeze the P5.  This is useful when readjusting hand position (think of it as picking up a mouse and re-centering it on your mouse pad).

The four buttons on the P5 can be used in game for various purposes.  In Tiger Hunt, the buttons reorient the tank, change ammo, and change perspective.  The ‘D’ button is universally used to turn the P5 on and off.  The buttons require the left hand to use, and some of the more complex games require keyboard controls as well, leaving the left hand to bounce back and forth in sticky situations. 

Game patches for Serious Sam and Black and White have been released to make the games P5 enabled.  Black & White is particularly fantastic with the P5, as your hand becomes the cursor. 

Using the P5 is (excuse the slang) a trip.  It’s a testament to where technology has come and where gaming is headed.   Hopefully game developers will become privy to the potential of the P5 and more games will be P5 enabled. 

Pros:

It takes a while to get used to, but the P5 is a great addition to any gamer’s collection.  The inventiveness of the finger controls is fantastic and makes playing the P5 enabled games even more enjoyable.  The P5 can also be used as a simple mouse controller, and can even be used on Macs once calibrated on a PC.  But the best part of the P5 is simply the marvel of technology.  Previously, I hadn’t expected a controller of this caliber to be mass marketed for another five years.

Cons:

To truly appreciate the P5, it must be played with a P5 enabled game.  Unfortunately, there aren’t many P5 enabled games on the market.  The adjustment period with the P5 may also leave some frustrated.  Playing with the P5 will tire the arm out, but at least you’ll get a limited workout on your deltoids.   

Verdict: 8.0

While the controller itself is fantastic, it’s limited by the availability of P5 enabled games.  The problem with being revolutionary is waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.  I wouldn’t recommend rushing out to buy one now as its uses are currently restricted to its library of games.  Once more P5 games hit the market, however, serious gamers will find the P5 is a very (ahem) handy peripheral.