A new patent has been filled out that gives evidence on how Hasbro's NERF guns will be utilized as controllers for VR gaming systems. These toy blasters have been around since the early 90s, with Hasbro having produced them under several unique lines and iterations. It's still a relatively popular toy among young boys, with enthusiasts also modifying these guns to improve the performance or upgrading the darts that can be shot. In terms of video games, there have been a series of tie-in titles that revolve around the toys. This can be seen with titles like the first-person shooter NERF Legends, being released in 2021 on multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox.
Despite the toy still being relatively popular, Hasbro has been doing a series of tie-ins with other games to sell them. This includes the likes of giving Minecraft its own line of NERF guns, to Halo Infinite players unlocking an in-game skin after purchasing one of these blasters. It seems like the next step with these toys is to have them as controllers, usable in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality gaming spaces.
This patent was filled at the United States of America Patent Office earlier this month, with it being for a video game attachment system that will be compatible with traditional, AR, and/or Virtual Reality gaming. This attachment will be able to hold a screen onto a physical controller that is shaped like a toy gun. There is also a series of second attachments to the controller, where the registration device can be used to detect the movement and triggers of the toy guns being pulled.
While it mentions toy guns, it specifically outlines that it can be used in conjunction with NERF gun and blaster toys that are sold in stores. The background describes this patent will be able to provide a controller system that will give these toy guns the ability to be compatible with various gaming systems, without the need to buy specialized controllers. It describes how it plans on accomplishing this goal, by using a set of sensors attached to these toys, which can then be used to track the position of the object for virtual reality or mobile games.
It states that this technology wouldn't just be used for first-person shooter games, as it can also benefit for controllers for sports games of the same ilk. This includes steering wheel control motions for racing/driving games, sports games by having the controller imitate a mallet or bat, or adventure games that can use this to replicate sword movements. For now, this is mostly speculation until this NERF related patent is revealed.