The Grifta controller Kickstarter lets you completely customize your gamepad – right down to reassembling it as a motion-based IR gun.
For all of our advances in gaming, there’s still no standard controller you can play everything on. The two-stick Xbox/PlayStation gamepad scheme comes close, but it usually goes out the window once you’re playing a genre they weren’t designed for or simply run out of buttons for the various command prompts. Today we all have our favorite setups, but playing across multiple platforms and genres requires individual controllers – which makes the Grifta Kickstarter so interesting. Instead of working with a single design scheme, the Grifta’s modular design flips from a classic controller, to a handgrip/mouse combo, to an IR-tracking motion gun with the same device. What’s more, it’s intended for use on PC, Android, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.
Instead of working within the confines of a single gamepad, the Grifta modules function as gamepad components that can be customized to suit the user. If you want a classic gamepad style, you simply connect a D-Pad unit with an ABXY button unit. These units function independently as well – you can leave them unattached and carry one in each hand, giving you room to move you arms. You can also play in keyboard mode, using the Grifta D-Pad unit for movement and a mouse for precise aiming. Each component uses mechanical switches instead of rubber for better responses, and comes with custom grips that fit different hand sizes.
That covers most typical living room and PC gaming configurations, but Grifta’s stretch goals hope to go beyond that. For example, the Infra-Red Antler attachment turns the Grifta into a motion controller. If it works as advertised, that means the Grifta could have a significant role in VR gaming – you could turn one direction in an Oculus Rift while aiming with your hands, instead of a traditional controller. Later stretch goals include mobile and tablet expansions, letting you play Android devices on the go with familiar control schemes.
The Grifta is already out of the prototype stage, but would use Kickstarter funds for a much smoother production and assembly process. As of writing, the project is sitting at 60% of its base goal, hoping to reach £65,000 in the next 40 days. If successful, backers will start receiving their Grifta controllers in Summer 2015 – whether they’re good enough to fully replace your traditional gamepads remains to be seen.
Source: Kickstarter
