I can see another reason for the switch. Trackpads can be nicer for surfing the web. With trackpad vs joysticks. Trackpads can use gestures.
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I really think there’s no better solution than putting the “pointing finger button” on the back of the controllers 
I don’t care whether it’s touchpad or a joystick. The button is way more important. It would be so unintitive if my pointing finger would be unneeded. I would feel so bad with it
take an inspiration from guns and make the controllers way better with the change
Unless there is more drawings. There might be another button hidden from view…
Either way I’m sure the team is combing threw tge ideas. 
I’d hate to have to choose between the 2… either we go with replaceable modules so you can swap one out for another, or go with something similar to the Windows Mixed Reality controllers which has both.
I have a mixed reality system and having both is pretty nice. That would be my first choice.
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That’d be great if in the final version there would be such a button. I can’t see it in here 
:
Of course, it’s not that I don’t care if it’s a joystick or a touchpad. I just find the button way more important.
I would love to have contollers with an option of choosing between using a touchpad and joystick. What @zths already put here seems a very interesting solution, but I don’t know if it works well.
Missed that controller pic.
So I’m glad I could help 
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IMO the thumbstick position on 2nd sketch is better because you can reach it even with an open palm. And, of course, I’m vote for three sensors on the handle.
I have created something like this:
The most important things:
- arches on the pinky, ring and middle fingers
- pointing finger button
- additional buttons closer to the palm (i.e. of the right-hand controller, buttons should be on the right side of the touchpad/joystick, not left)
Of course in the place where I have placed the joystick, there could also be the touchpad (with the joystick extender). In general, I don’t see the sense of placing touchpad/joystick, but as we have enough space, maybe some developers will make a usage of it.
The mounting of course could be like in your already existing project - i just couldn’t have made that with plasticine.
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Some quick and dirty examples I made. (I personally like this first one.)
As far as Middle finger trigger, it can stay or be replaced with Cap Sense depending on if it can cause an issue with games built for the official Valve Knuckles.
Mine is way better 
Reasons? Capacitative trackpads are far easier and cheaper to produce than a high quality analogue joystick…
@andrewb Good job! I’m not sure about the buttons though. and I think it should be similar to what the trackpad design ends up being.
Obviously the analog trigger middle button sounds like a good thing unless it causes an issue with developers not supporting it.
They for sure support it as in the Knuckles there is the cyan “Trigger” button. And the 6 additional buttons I designed: the biggest one is the system button, 2 of them are the “inner and outer buttons” equivalent, the other 3 are just for Pimax developers - for example for games where you can be choosing between many options
Pimax design has two triggers currently and Valves only one.
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