Using finger presence to activate a motion control feature for a handheld controller

A method comprising:

• determining, by one or more processors, and based at least in part on sensor data provided by a sensor associated with a control of a handheld controller, a presence of a finger on a surface of the control;
• activating, by the one or more processors, and based at least in part on determining the presence of the finger on the surface of the control, a motion control feature of the handheld controller, wherein the activating of the motion control feature causes the handheld controller to provide motion sensor data generated by a motion sensor of the handheld controller to an application for controlling an aspect of the application;
• determining, by the one or more processors, and based at least in part the sensor data provided by the sensor, an absence of the finger on the surface of the control;
• and
• deactivating, by the one or more processors, and based at least in part on determining the absence of the finger on the surface of the control, the motion control feature, wherein the deactivating of the motion control feature causes the handheld controller to stop providing the motion sensor data to the application for controlling the aspect of the application.

A handheld controller comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a motion sensor configured to provide, to the one or more processors, motion sensor data indicative of movement of the handheld controller;
• a control;
• a sensor associated with the control and configured to provide, to the one or more processors, sensor data indicative of a finger contacting a surface of the control;
• and
• memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
• determine that the finger has come into contact with the surface of the control based at least in part on the sensor data;
• activate a motion control feature of the handheld controller based at least in part on determining that the finger has come into contact with the surface of the control, wherein activating the motion control feature causes the handheld controller to provide the motion sensor data to an application for controlling an aspect of the application;
• determine that the finger has ceased contacting the surface of the control based at least in part on the sensor data;
• and
• deactivate the motion control feature based at least in part on determining that the finger has ceased contacting the surface of the control, wherein deactivating the motion control feature causes the handheld controller to stop providing the motion sensor data to the application for controlling the aspect of the application.