Alpha Gun
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| Alpha Gun | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| Type | Input Device |
| Platform | Oculus Rift (Platform) |
| Creator | Chris Gallizzi |
| Developer | Hyperkin |
| Announcement Date | 10 March 2014 (prototype video)[1] |
| Website | https://www.youtube.com/user/goez69/videos |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth (wireless)[2] |
| Device | |
| Sensors | Multiple gyroscopes[2] |
The Alpha Gun is a prototype gun input device that does independent tracking for first-person shooter (FPS) games with the Oculus Rift. It was built by Chris Gallizzi in collaboration with the accessory maker Hyperkin and shown in March 2014.[2][3]
The prototype had a 3D-printed body, gyroscope sensors, a vibration motor for rumble and a wireless Bluetooth connection. Its aim was to let a player point the in-game weapon independently of where the head was facing, instead of having the gun fixed to the player's viewpoint.[2][4]
Background
In 2013 Gallizzi was head of research and development at Hyperkin, a hardware company best known for clones of retro game consoles. That year he modified The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to run on his Oculus Rift DK1 using the open-source 3D driver Vireio Perception. According to an excerpt from Blake Harris's book The History of the Future published by UploadVR, Gallizzi urged Hyperkin CEO Steven Mar to enter the VR market; Mar, whose company was focused on retro gaming, allowed him to work on VR on the side.[5] Kotaku described Gallizzi as "no stranger to messing with the Oculus Rift" when it reported on the gun.[2]
Development and demonstration
Gallizzi posted a video titled "Alpha Gun for Oculus Rift" to his YouTube channel on 10 March 2014. In the video description he called it "an early body build that was 3d printed and using a pre-alpha script to send data via bluetooth", and wrote that they had taken it to a local Play N' Trade store so that the store owner and members of the public could give feedback on the gun and its functionality.[1] OVRNews reported that the store was in Los Angeles, California.[4]
Kotaku's Luke Plunkett wrote that Gallizzi had received feedback from Oculus co-creator Palmer Luckey and had carried out live testing "with pretty impressive results".[2] VRFocus reported that the gun was co-developed with Hyperkin and used gyro sensors to track the user's movements.[3]
Design
The table below lists the features described in the March 2014 coverage. That coverage did not give weight, dimensions, price or battery details.
| Feature | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Body | 3D-printed early build | [1][3] |
| Motion sensing | Multiple gyroscopes | [2] |
| Haptic feedback | Vibrating motor for rumble | [2] |
| Connection | Bluetooth, allowing wireless use | [2] |
| Software | Pre-alpha script sending data via Bluetooth | [1] |
The published descriptions name gyroscopes as the motion sensors and do not describe an optical or other positional tracking system for the gun.[2][3]
Reception
Plunkett called the Alpha Gun "not a perfect solution", arguing that dedicated peripherals risked the "plastic dependence" that had made music games a hassle, but added that "it's as close as we've got so far".[2] OVRNews wrote that freeing the gun from head movement was the kind of detail that would help players feel immersed in FPS games in virtual reality.[4]
Status
The March 2014 reports described the Alpha Gun as a work in progress.[2][3][4] Gallizzi's stated goal was to have the peripheral ready for the release of the consumer version of the Oculus Rift, or possibly to produce developer guns.[1][3]
Hyperkin later sold a different VR gun peripheral, the Hyper Blaster, which works by having an HTC Vive Tracker attached to its top. UploadVR reviewed it in December 2017 and noted that it was sold on Amazon in a US$149 bundle with a Vive Tracker and a copy of the game Duck Season.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chris Gallizzi (2014-03-10). "Alpha Gun for Oculus Rift". YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acAAVDyEOro. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Luke Plunkett (2014-03-12). "One Way To Solve The Oculus Rift's Gun Problem". Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/one-way-to-solve-the-oculus-rifts-gun-problem-1542679666. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Jamie Feltham (2014-03-14). "Developer Producers Motion-Sensing Gun Peripheral for Oculus Rift". VRFocus. https://web.archive.org/web/20140316204457/http://vrfocus.com/archives/1158/developer-producers-motion-sensing-gun-peripheral-oculus-rift/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Frank R. (2014-03-17). "Oculus Rift Gun Peripheral Delivers Realistic FPS Experience". OVRNews. https://www.ovrnews.com/oculus-rift-gun-peripheral-delivers-realistic-fps-experience/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Ian Hamilton (2019-02-20). "Excerpt: Five Stories From Blake Harris Book The History Of The Future". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/gallizzi-cymatic-goroman-bettner/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ David Jagneaux (2017-12-14). "Hyperkin Hyper Blaster Gun Review: The NES Zapper Meets VR". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/hyperkin-hyper-blaster-review/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.