A lot of technologies on the market have a specific purpose. Some of them point towards rising productivity and others change the way users interact with the system. Haptic technology belongs to the later group. The main objective of this technology is giving the user a deeper immersive experience.
During the last years the evolution of videogames industry has influenced several devices and technologies to obtain a more immersive experience. Haptic techonolog is a new step and gaming devices developer Razer introduced a haptic products line specifically for gamers.
Haptic technology immersive experience
Have you ever thought how would it feel a curve in your favorite racing game? Or how much does the weapon of your character weights? Thanks to haptic technology this horizon is not impossible in the future. The objective of haptic technology devices is to transmit sensations through touch.
Haptic peripherals are not that extended yet. It’s something very expensive to develop. For example, the Razer haptic cushion Freyja costs 300 € and not all gamers consider it necessary. In order for Freyja to work there are complex elements in motion. 6 haptic motors represent the various movement zones and then the cushion applies a physical response to stimuli from the game.
If you are playing a racing videogame, Freyja uses the 6 motors to translate the sensation of driving a car. You can experience certain pressure on the back and the seat. Obviously there are not that many titles compatible with the new haptic devices. They haven’t been fully extended yet. It’s not a priority for game developers yet.
There are not many products that offer a physical response to in-game stimuli yet but along the Freyja cushion
Razer also developed a new set of headphones. This device includes 2 haptic techonology motors for a different sound experience. The price is quite high and the usefulness is still debatable. We will probably see haptic technology as a normal alternative in the future, but right now it’s still just a fancy new trend.