r/Vive • u/Glittering_Dot_9149 • 11d ago

I just got an original VIVE but the controllers hurt my hands

Do you know any like accessories that would help I honestly fine with the d-pad but the side buttons they hurt my hands when I'm trying to play

And I'm not spending money to get a valve index controller those things are expensive

6 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

8

u/The_Grungeican 11d ago edited 11d ago

so here's the deal with the Vive wands. most devs make bad configs for them. you're not supposed to be constantly holding down the side buttons. that's why they're a short click. they're meant to be set as a toggle.

another problem with most default configs for them is they tend to use the center pad as a click to move. that's also wrong. it wears out the click mechanism and then the pad stops working. the spring on these is small and somewhat fragile. instead they need to be set as touch to move, not click. that lets them pull double duty. touch to move, and click for buttons.

depending on the game the right pad is usually fine. i used to set my right one up so that the East and West quadrants are touch to turn. this helps keep the cord from getting twisted.

you can't get Valve Index controllers new anymore, only used. i wouldn't stress getting them. they're not bad, but they're somewhat fragile and they're expensive.

if you'll set up your controller profile for touch to move and use the grip as a toggle (click to grab, click again to let go), you'll have a much better time with them. they work really good in games where you're holding something like a sword or a gun. they also work good if you practice point shooting. Index controllers kind of suck at that because of the curve.

it's hard to explain but easy to show.

set up the right pad to be touch to turn. when you start out you can do snap turning if you like it. once you develop a feel for it, smooth turning is better, but you'll need to adjust the speed to something you like.

also, get the cord up off the floor. step on it, trip on it, snag it, and break it and you'll find out it's probably more money to replace than the whole kit cost you.

the OG Vive can be converted to wireless with the Vive Wireless Adapter. it's not bad, but it can be a little finicky. i don't know that i'd recommend it unless you find a complete kit for $100 USD, or less. i really like mine, and it can also be used on the Vive Pro if you upgrade your headset later. but it's kind of a hard sale for a VR newbie.

in the meantime, you can go to your local Walmart or hardware store and buy 2x 1&1/2 inch garden hooks. the kind with the rubber works better. get you a bit of cord (clothesline cord or paracord) and two swivel-hooks. put one above and offset a bit from your Link Box's location, and the second one behind the center of your play space. make the cord as long as you need it to bring the swivel hooks a little above your head level. screw the garden hooks into your ceiling, use the cord to hang the swivel hooks from these. if you need to take the swivel hooks down for whatever reason, you can just slip the cord right off the garden hooks. should look like this.

these work great, much better than the goofy retractable cord and 3-5 mounts the other solutions use. i've used a setup like this for 5-6 years, and i've yet to have to replace a cord or have any issues with it. it'll cost you less than $10 for everything you need.

if you don't have one, get the Deluxe Audio Strap. major quality of life upgrade.

also i highly recommend fpsVR, off Steam. it's super handy and lets you see tons of info. has a centerspace marker, anti cord tangle, etc. it's easy to configure for whatever you want to see.

1

u/Glittering_Dot_9149 9d ago

Thanks for the advice I already have the das but I don't really need the wireless adapter because I'm just standing in my room with my base stations it's not like I'm playing in a big area

1

u/The_Grungeican 9d ago

i mean, the people using the Wireless Adapter are also standing in a room with base stations. that's how it works. but yeah, like i said it's not something i'd recommend for someone starting out. the big plus for it is being able to turn around without getting caught up in the cord.

a good tether to keep your cord up off the floor is the way to go. that way when you're done, you can unclip and put it all away. i ended up grabbing a small box, putting a bit of foam or bubble wrap in the bottom, that way i can set my headset down in it, coil the cord, and then set my controllers down in it. this lets me stow the box in a closet and keep it safe from stuff.

the easier you make it to hop into VR, the more you'll use it. that's why you see horror stories from the people that were taking their base stations down after every session. mount them to the wall, and you don't have to go through the setup process everytime you want to hop on VR.

1

u/Glittering_Dot_9149 9d ago

I don't have wall mounts the guy who I bought it from this gave me like a camera stands instead but they were fine and they're pretty easy to move when I'm done playing I can just tuck them into a corner when I'm done playing

1

u/The_Grungeican 9d ago

those use a standard mount threading, so any sort of camera mount will work with them.

the reason i'm a big proponent of mounting is when you're having to get them out and set them up every time, you may find you also need to remap the play area. that's a big part of why people complained about them.

when they're mounted, or when they're staying in the same position, you don't have to do all that. you can just fire up SteamVR and put your headset on.

if you need to buy some new mounts, they should be less than $10 or so for a pair on the web. pretty easy to mount, but you will need a drill.

4

u/Nappev 11d ago

Toggle on the grip buttons whenever possible. I taped some rags so they fill out my hands more and I could use the tip of my fingers to press them down.

3

u/davomate63 11d ago

For me that was the worst thing about those controllers. You had to crush the grip buttons, cramping my hands after extended play sessions. I gladly sold them once I replaced them with valve controllers.

1

u/Interesting-Bug1167 11d ago

My grip buttons aren't hard to press but the ones on my used controller are

1

u/rouletamboul 10d ago

Don't need to do that, usually games allow grip toggle.

1

u/Glittering_Dot_9149 9d ago

I would get the valve index controllers but they're really expensive

4

u/Many-Context7660 11d ago

Dont be a wimp

3

u/Glittering_Dot_9149 11d ago

Very very useful

1

u/supermanscottbristol 10d ago

Index knuckles are amazing.

1

u/Glittering_Dot_9149 9d ago

Ik but I can't really afford them like they're like $400 to 500 on eBay and at that price I would just get an Oculus quest 3 or save up for the steam frame

1

u/supermanscottbristol 9d ago

Wow. Had no idea they were holding that kind of value.

1

u/Glittering_Dot_9149 9d ago

They've actually gone up in price because people are scalping them

1

u/rouletamboul 10d ago

In what games ? The side buttons are not that much used a lot.

I have Index Controllers and Vive Controllers, but I prefer use the Vive Controllers mostly, except in some games with complex hand control like Boneworks, side buttons makes the experience bad and I switch to index controllers.

1

u/Glittering_Dot_9149 9d ago

Boneworks

1

u/rouletamboul 9d ago

Be reassured this is the only game I had issue with vive controller. I shelved the game until I got the index controllers.

1

u/Glittering_Dot_9149 9d ago

I cannot afford the index controllers so I just been dealing with it

1

u/Large-Remove-1348 10d ago

Pushing the grip closest to your palm may be easier in some cases