EteeControllers SteamVR

eteeControllers SteamVR
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	VR Controllers
Subtype	Finger-sensing controllers, SteamVR controllers
Platform	SteamVR
Creator	TG0
Developer	TG0 (Tangi0 Ltd.)
Manufacturer	TG0
Announcement Date	April 2020 (Kickstarter)
Release Date	August 2023 (retail SteamVR Kit); backer shipments from 2022
Price	£299 (SteamVR Kit, pair with trackers)
Website	https://eteexr.com
Versions	etee 3DoF (hand/finger only); eteeController SteamVR Kit (6DoF)
Requires	SteamVR-compatible PC VR headset, SteamVR Base Stations (6DoF)
Predecessor	None
Successor	eteeController AdaptVR Kit
System
Operating System	SteamVR (SteamVR driver / OpenXR)
Chipset	Embedded controller SoC
CPU	Embedded
GPU	N/A
Storage
Storage	N/A
Memory	N/A
SD Card Slot	No
Display
Display	N/A (controller)
Resolution	N/A
Refresh Rate	N/A
Image
Field of View	N/A
Horizontal FoV	N/A
Vertical FoV	N/A
Optics
Optics	N/A
Ocularity	N/A
IPD Range	N/A
Adjustable Diopter	N/A
Passthrough	N/A
Tracking
Tracking	SteamVR Tracking via eteeTracker (6DoF); finger/hand sensing on-device
Base Stations	SteamVR Base Station 1.0 and 2.0 (6DoF)
Eye Tracking	N/A
Face Tracking	N/A
Hand Tracking	Finger sensing (proximity, touch, pressure)
Body Tracking	N/A
Rotational Tracking	Yes (6DoF version)
Positional Tracking	Yes (6DoF version)
Audio
Audio	N/A
Microphone	N/A
Camera	N/A
Connectivity
Connectivity	Bluetooth Low Energy via eteeDongle; USB-C
Ports	USB-C (charging and wired connection)
WiFi	N/A
Bluetooth	Bluetooth Low Energy (proprietary dongle)
Power	Rechargeable LiPo battery
Battery Capacity	730 mAh (controller); 700 mAh (eteeTracker SteamVR)
Battery Life	~5-6 hours playtime
Charge Time	~120 minutes
Device
Dimensions	136 x 130 x 70 mm (kit)
Weight	142 g (6DoF controller); 75 g (3DoF version)
Material	Silicone over rigid core; replaceable foam grips (S/M/L)
Headstrap	N/A
Haptics	Yes (vibration feedback)
Color	Black
Sensors	Eight pressure sensors plus capacitive finger-sensing array; thumb trackpad
Input	Full-finger sensing, thumb trackpad, gestures (point, pinch, grip); buttonless and triggerless
Compliance	SteamVR compatible

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The eteeControllers SteamVR, sold as the eteeController SteamVR Kit, are a pair of buttonless, finger-sensing virtual reality controllers developed by the London hardware company TG0 (legally Tangi0 Ltd.) under its etee product brand. Unlike conventional VR controllers, the etee design omits physical buttons, triggers, and joysticks, instead using a capacitive sensing surface that detects the proximity, touch, and pressure of each finger so that input is driven by natural gestures such as pointing, pinching, and gripping. The SteamVR Kit pairs each handheld with an eteeTracker that adds 6DoF positional and rotational tracking using SteamVR Base Stations, making the controllers usable as a drop-in input device for existing SteamVR software through gesture-to-button mapping.

The project began as a Kickstarter campaign in 2020, shipped to backers from 2022 after component-supply delays, and reached wider retail availability as the eteeController SteamVR Kit in August 2023. The controllers are notable as an early consumer attempt to replace button-based VR input entirely with finger sensing, a goal closer to camera-based hand tracking than to the trigger-and-thumbstick layout used by the Valve Index Controllers and most other SteamVR hardware.

History and Development

Origins and Kickstarter

The etee controllers were created by TG0, a London startup founded in 2015 by Ming Kong and Dr. Liucheng Guo, whose core business is a proprietary capacitive sensing technology that turns ordinary moulded surfaces into touch- and pressure-sensitive interfaces. The company applied that sensing platform to a VR controller and launched a Kickstarter campaign that ran from April 2 to May 11, 2020. The campaign concluded having raised £90,650 (about US$112,000) from 338 backers, well above its original goal.

At launch the campaign offered two versions: a 3DoF model that provided only hand orientation and finger sensing, and a 6DoF model bundled with a bespoke SteamVR tracker for full positional tracking. Kickstarter pricing was roughly £200 (about US$265) for the 3DoF pair and around £240 (about US$315) for the 6DoF SteamVR pair, with first shipments originally estimated for December 2020.

Delays and shipping

Production slipped well past the original estimate, which TG0 attributed to global component shortages. By June 2022 the company said it was in production and expected to ship roughly 400 units to backers within about two months, with a further production run planned for later that year. Stephen Prior, then TG0's community and business development manager, stated: "We're in production right now and we're expecting to ship in the next two months to our backers." Retail pricing at that stage was approximately US$250 for the 3DoF version and US$325 for the 6DoF version.

Retail release

The packaged eteeController SteamVR Kit became broadly available through the etee web store and third-party VR retailers in early August 2023. TG0 later introduced a companion product, the eteeController AdaptVR Kit, extending the same finger-sensing controllers to additional setups.

Hardware and Design

Finger sensing

Each eteeController is built around TG0's patented capacitive sensing system rather than mechanical switches. The company describes the device as providing full-finger tracking with proximity, touch, and pressure detection across the gripping surface, combined with eight pressure sensors and a thumb trackpad for additional input. The sensing surface recognizes individual fingers and the strength of a grip, including tight squeezing, and maps these to default gestures of point, pinch, and grip. Because there is no physical trigger, the input model differs fundamentally from controllers such as the Valve Index Controllers; UploadVR noted that "every other major controller on the market includes a physical trigger and the vast majority of VR software is built around this fundamental input mechanism," which makes a triggerless design unusual for general SteamVR use.

Physical specifications

The controllers are designed to be light and unobtrusive. The early 3DoF model weighed about 75 grams; the 6DoF retail controller weighs about 142 grams (5 oz), with the packaged kit measuring roughly 136 by 130 by 70 mm. Each controller uses a soft silicone exterior over a rigid core and ships with replaceable foam grips in small, medium, and large sizes to fit different hands. Power comes from a rechargeable lithium-polymer cell rated at 730 mAh in the controller and 700 mAh in the eteeTracker SteamVR; TG0 quotes roughly five to six hours of playtime per charge and about a 120-minute charge time over USB-C. The controllers also provide vibration haptic feedback, which TG0 markets as a patent-pending haptic system.

Tracking and connectivity

On its own an eteeController provides finger sensing and hand orientation. Positional tracking in the SteamVR Kit is supplied by the eteeTracker, which works with SteamVR Base Station 1.0 and 2.0 to give 6DoF tracking. The controllers connect to the host PC over Bluetooth Low Energy using a proprietary eteeDongle, and can also be connected by USB-C. According to the official store, the kit requires a SteamVR-compatible headset with external base-station tracking and is not compatible with Pimax headsets or with headsets that use inside-out tracking; some retailer listings have advertised broader support, including HTC Vive, Valve Index, Windows Mixed Reality, and Varjo devices, with additional setup, so prospective buyers should verify compatibility for a specific headset.

The retail SteamVR Kit ships as a pair and includes left and right eteeControllers, two eteeTracker SteamVR units, the eteeController dongle and two SteamVR dongles, USB-C charging cables, and the three foam grip sizes.

Software

The eteeControllers are configured with eteeConnect, a free companion application published by TG0 (credited to TG0 and developer danwillm) and released on Steam on February 1, 2022. eteeConnect lets users update controller and dongle firmware, calibrate the device to their hand, and create custom bindings and presets, and it supports both a SteamVR driver and OpenXR. Because the controllers expose their gestures through the SteamVR Input system, they can emulate the inputs of a standard HTC Vive controller and therefore work with the existing library of SteamVR titles after remapping, although TG0 expected per-game tuning to be necessary. The controllers have been shown running PC VR software including Half-Life: Alyx, which TG0 demonstrated in gameplay videos using Vive Trackers ahead of the bespoke SteamVR module. For developers, TG0 provides software development kits for Unity (C#) and Python.

Reception

Hands-on coverage was broadly positive about the novelty and accuracy of the finger sensing while raising concerns about ergonomics and the practicality of a triggerless controller for mainstream games. Reviewing pre-production hardware for The Ghost Howls, Antony Vitillo found that "the device detects with good accuracy what fingers you are pressing, and if you are squeezing it," and praised the controllers for being very light and for staying securely attached during fast movements. He also appreciated the plug-and-play setup and SteamVR compatibility through controller emulation.

His main criticism was ergonomic: he called comfort one of the design's weak points because the sensing cylinder sits against the fingers rather than the palm, giving "a continuous reminder that you have something attached" and preventing the hand from fully spreading for gestures such as waving. He also found the sensing a little too sensitive, occasionally registering a squeeze from a light touch, and described the automatic rumble as "pretty annoying on the long run," concluding that the controllers suited custom applications such as training, rehabilitation, and fitness better than off-the-shelf consumer games. UploadVR, which tried the controllers at CES, similarly reported that they recognized each finger and grip including tight squeezing but could not detect fingers spreading and moving vertically along the base, and flagged the absence of a physical trigger as the key open question for compatibility with existing VR titles.

Specifications

Specification	Details
Type	Buttonless finger-sensing VR controllers (pair)
Maker	TG0 (Tangi0 Ltd.), etee brand
Input	Full-finger sensing (proximity, touch, pressure), thumb trackpad; gestures point/pinch/grip
Sensors	Eight pressure sensors plus capacitive finger-sensing array
Tracking	6DoF via eteeTracker and SteamVR Base Station 1.0/2.0
Connectivity	Bluetooth Low Energy (eteeDongle); USB-C
Battery	730 mAh (controller), 700 mAh (tracker); ~5-6 hours; ~120 min charge
Weight	142 g (6DoF controller); 75 g (early 3DoF)
Haptics	Vibration feedback
Software	eteeConnect (SteamVR driver / OpenXR); Unity and Python SDKs
Compatibility	SteamVR headsets with base-station tracking; not Pimax or inside-out headsets (per maker)
Price	About £299 / US$325 (SteamVR Kit, pair)

See Also

• Valve Index Controllers
• SteamVR
• Hand tracking
• VR Controllers
• 6DoF