When the Oculus Rift launched back in March, we felt that the lack of hand-tracking controllers was the biggest omission from an otherwise intriguing VR headset. Now, after numerous demos , we finally have Oculus' hand-tracking Touch controllers in the Ars orbiting HQ for testing.

A fuller review of the hardware will have to wait until closer to the controllers' December 6 launch. For now, we can tell you that the Touch controllers are still incredibly comfortable to hold and track very well with the addition of an included second camera. We also have a few early impressions of some launch titles Oculus is using to show off this newfound hand-tracking.

VR Sports Challenge

Back in 2006, Wii Sports was the instantly accessible pack-in title that showed millions of players the potential of motion controls in an easy to understand way. VR Sports Challenge is obviously trying to serve the same role for the Oculus Touch controllers, but it fails to be as instantly compelling or generally interesting as the Wii's initial killer app.

Rather than fully simulating every aspect of the sports it simulates, VR Sports Challenge compartmentalizes them into a series of what amounts to linked mini-games, abstracting them into high-score challenge in the process. In football, for instance, you aim with your gaze then throw the ball to an open receiver highlighted in green. Your view then immediately switches to that receiver, and you have to catch a slow-motion ball coming towards you by reaching out and grabbing it with the triggers (after the catch, you get to watch as the receiver is immediately tackled).

You get thousands of points for the quality of each throw and catch, making the score of the underlying football game somewhat meaningless. The result feels less like a football simulation and more like a simple game of catch that you play with yourself.

Basketball is similarly limited. Rather than running around the court calling plays and battling for position near the basket, you simply dribble in place and look for open men to pass to (then catch your own pass, a la the football mini-game). Taking a jump shot with a flick of your wrist feels nice and snappy with the Touch controllers, and the physics are very forgiving. Even shots with bad form can sail successfully towards the basket (you can also "nudge" shots by tilting your head after release, an odd effect that's hard to master).

Ice hockey was the most interesting included sport. You take the role of a goalie in the net, watching as the opposing team passes the puck around effortlessly (thanks to a penalty-driven 5-to-3 skater advantage). You have to follow the puck as it moves about, because when a shot comes flying in, you'll need to be ready to quickly move your stick or glove hand to block it in real-time (while staying alert for putbacks after the deflection, too). It's a basic but thrilling reflex test that makes a good use of the VR viewpoint, and this doesn't force too much unnecessary abstraction from the real sport of hockey.

As you play through VR Sports Challenge, you slowly unlock new gameplay features and distinct mini-games. The ability to throw a basketball alley-oop (and make a windmill dunk on the other end) is pretty fun, as is a hockey mode that features five shooters launching pucks at you non-stop.

Overall, though, VR Sports Challenge comes across as a simplistic and disjointed tech demo to show new owners how their Touch controllers work. Without any of the social elements that made Wii Sports an instant party favorite, this is the kind of game most new Touch owners will probably put down after an hour or so.

The Unspoken

I don't know what it feels like to be a wizard, but after playing The Unspoken—and seeing and feeling a fireball grow above my right palm before launching it at an opposing wizard across the way—I'd like to think I have some idea.

The Unspoken immediately stands out thanks to a natural, intuitive motion-control interface that makes you feel instantly powerful. Aside from the basic fireball and a reflective shield you can throw up with the opposite hand, more powerful spells are activated with simple arm gestures. To put up a wall, for instance, you hold the triggers and place your arms in a protective X. To launch a skull, you push both palms together and forward like Ryu throwing a hadoken.

Other spells get activated by performing simple mini-games as quickly as possible with your hands—bang the targets on an anvil to make a powerful magical spear, or fold a paper airplane to launch a fleet of biplanes at your opponent. Making these motions leaves you vulnerable, adding to the tension of what would otherwise be pointless and unnecessary movements.

While there's some limited single player options, The Unspoken seems focused on multiplayer magical duels fought online. At first, it's a little awkward staring down your opponent from a VR pedestal, launching attacks at each other without the ability to easily move about as you might in most first-person games (you can only teleport between set pedestals with a point and click). Quickly, though, you learn how to reposition yourself and cover to try to gain an advantage on the opponent.

There's a bit more light strategy involved in the balance between offense and defense. Do you spend time destroying the opponent's magical resources or focus on developing your own? Do you waste resources putting up a barrier or use them to craft more powerful attacks on the enemy?

In my early online matches so far, the aggressive strategies definitely seem to have the edge over holding back and protecting yourself. But that could change as the player base gets more experienced and figures out the best tactics for balancing damage and protection. Even now, simply standing your ground and ignoring self-preservation is an easy way to die quickly.

I'm not sure if eSports is ready to make the leap to virtual reality just yet, but The Unspoken is a good early attempt at an online competition that really takes advantage of the new technology.

Medium

I've only spent a little time with Oculus' answer to Tiltbrush, but so far, there's a lot to like. Whereas Tiltbrush is focused primarily on painting and doodling in midair , Medium is more focused on crafting and molding 3D objects with real depth.

The easiest way to get started is with a set of preset stamps of objects ranging from human anatomy to mechanical gears and everything in between. These stamps give a good base to start from, which you can then expand in with tools that smudge, flatten, swirl, cut, or morph the basic shapes to your heart's content. Then you can decorate your 3D creation with paint or add on additional globs of clay drawn freehand with the very responsive Touch controllers.

The interface makes nice use of the Touch controllers; one hand holds your palette of tools, while the other selects those tools and uses them on your sculpt. The triggers activate the main controls, but you can use the thumbsticks to quickly undo and redo actions, or rotate and increase/decrease the size of your tools. It's also very satisfying using the controller grips to grab the entire scene and move it around or scale it up and down with a quick move of your hands.

When it comes to idly doodling, a game like Tiltbrush is easier to just jump into and futz around with. But when it comes to making convincing 3D scenes, Medium might have more long-term potential for those with an artistic bent.