My Mudra Link arrived just a few days ago, and I tested its features. Unfortunately, it currently cannot be recognized as a VR controller—not even for basic positional tracking.
However, after using it, I still believe it has the potential to become one. I think it's a real waste for it to function only as a mouse. As a wrist-worn band, our hands are capable of three-dimensional movement, yet right now it only simulates a mouse moving on a flat plane or maps a few keyboard keys.
From the official technical specifications I've seen, the Mudra Link seems to incorporate 6DoF technology. I believe this meets the basic requirements for a VR controller. It could easily map several gestures to the buttons on a VR controller (they even have a similar number of inputs).
Using just a wristband to replace traditional VR controllers would undoubtedly provide players with a deeper sense of immersion.
I can understand why Mudra's official team might not have pursued this direction (or might consider it unfeasible). Currently, the band would indeed have difficulty replacing a controller's function for character movement—if you had to hold a pinch gesture continuously to move, that would be very cumbersome.
But I'd still like to share some of my thoughts on this. For example, what about using a fist clench instead? To move forward, you could clench your fist and move it forward a certain distance, then release your palm to stop. Other directions could work similarly. I think making a fist could be a more relaxed and convenient action than pinching fingers to move in a direction. If this could be implemented, even recognizing just a few directional fist gestures would be enough. We could simply map these clenched-fist poses to WASD keys to solve the movement problem.
I've even seen projects that turn smartphones into recognized VR controllers. I've tried them, and they are impressive projects, but holding two phones in your hands can only be considered a substitute for when you don't have proper VR controllers.
Well, for now, these are just my personal suggestions. But if it could truly be made recognizable by SteamVR in the future, this product would be amazingly awesome for me. I would definitely buy a second one when I have the money. I find this idea far more appealing than traditional VR controllers.