Pocket-Sized Controllers

Pocket-Sized Controllers

Researching input methods to turn 20,000 phones into game controllers

Researching input methods to turn 20,000 phones into game controllers

Company

Company

The Sphere

The Sphere

My Role

My Role

Lead UX Researcher

Lead UX Researcher

Prototyper

Timeline

10 Months

10 Months

Overview

Overview

How do you turn 20,000 smartphones into game controllers for a shared screen the size of a building? This project explored interaction methods that let massive audiences control live games on the Sphere using just their phones. We tested AR tap targets, crowd motion sync, and virtual joysticks—each designed to minimize cognitive load and keep the experience fun, fast, and intuitive.

How do you turn 20,000 smartphones into game controllers for a shared screen the size of a building? This project explored interaction methods that let massive audiences control live games on the Sphere using just their phones. We tested AR tap targets, crowd motion sync, and virtual joysticks—each designed to minimize cognitive load and keep the experience fun, fast, and intuitive.

Tool Stack

Prototypes

Prototypes

01

Tap-to-Launch (AR)

Point your phone at the Sphere, tap a brick, and launch a virtual projectile that breaks it in real time—visible on both the phone and the Sphere.

Attention Split

Player Agency

Arm Fatigue

02

Raise & Lower (Motion Sync)

Crowd lifts or lowers their phones together to move a shelf onscreen. The mission: bounce a ball across shelves to the end—timing and coordination required.

Attention Split

Player Agency

Arm Fatigue

03

Blind Thumb Joystick

A touch-based virtual joystick to move your paddle in a massive multiplayer Pong game. Designed to be intuitive without needing to look down.

Attention Split

Player Agency

Arm Fatigue

04

Using Phone to Point and Tap

Players used their phones as virtual lasers—pointing the device toward the part of the Sphere screen they wanted to target (e.g., an asteroid). A tap on the red button launched a projectile into the game world.

Attention Split

Player Agency

Arm Fatigue