What exactly is haptic technology?
You may have heard the term before, but if you’re unable to define what it means, then know you’re not alone.
In short, haptics are the use of technology to stimulate the sense of touch of a person in a way that communicates something to them. The object that stimulates the sense of touch and transmits information is called haptic technology, while the information and sensations themselves are called haptic feedback. Usually, the piece of hardware itself that creates the sensations is called an actuator.
For example, the PlayStation DualSense controller is a piece of haptic technology. When playing a game, the actuators inside the controller will react to user input and move in different ways to generate vibrations that reflect what’s happening in-game. An explosion goes off to your left, just outside of your field of vision? The sensation in the controller will alert you to it. You fall from a great height? The thud you’ll feel in the controller will remind of you just how high your character was.
Essentially, anything that physically makes your body feel something for the purpose of communication is an example of haptics.
How D-BOX uses haptic technology for gaming
Most people are familiar with haptics in their gaming controllers, but D-BOX goes further than that. We strive to involve the sense of touch of the entire body in the gaming experience, which is why we’ve partnered with Cooler Master to create Motion 1, the world’s first haptic gaming chair!
However, you may be wondering how exactly the actuators know what sensations to use—and that’s exactly where D-BOX’s magic lies. Our team of in-house haptic designers and developers have put more than 350,000 hours into hand-coding a library of 65,000 unique haptic effects, all with one purpose: to immerse users into their entertainment!
This library of effects is combined of movements, vibrations and textures that stimulate the skin, muscles and balance in perfect synchronization to the both the action on-screen and to user inputs. The decisions of which sensations to use in any given moment are done by hand, which is a human-first approach that makes our experiences as realistic as can be!
What to expect from movements, vibrations & textures
It’s the unique combination of movements, vibrations and textures used in tandem that makes the D-BOX haptic experience so special. While they may seem like simple terms on their own, what do they concretely mean for the gaming experience?
Firstly, movements are used to move the user either forwards, backwards, left, right, up or down (or any combination of these) with the synchronization with the action on-screen. If you’re flying a plane through the skies, you’ll tilt along with the direction you’re flying!
Secondly, subtle yet rapid vibrations are used to enhance every moment and every emotion to add realism to entertainment, such as feeling an engine vibrating while driving a car.
Finally, textures are used to communicate the smallest of details to the user, such as if a character is walking or jumping, is on grass or pavement, or any other change in surface texture.
By combining these three aspects together, D-BOX is able to create a sensory experience that goes beyond any other solution on the market.
How we integrate our haptic feedback into D-BOX coded games
We also have a library of more than 110 games that have been fully integrated thanks to our longstanding relationships with studios and game producers, which means that the games are connected to our haptic feedback via their real-time telemetry data! By translating telemetry into haptic feedback, we’re able to provide realistic movements, vibrations and textures that accurately represent what game developers want you to feel for each moment of gameplay.
For example, we've recently collaborated with Ubisoft to comprehensively incorporate D-BOX haptics into all three seasons of their game, The Crew Motorfest™. This integration ensures that players can experience a heightened level of immersion, feeling every nuance from the gentle vibrations of engines to the powerful impacts, whether they're racing by car, plane, or boat. This results in an unparalleled level of realism, making the gaming experience truly immersive.
Additionally, our haptic gaming experience is based on story and player interactions rather than just on sound, making it a complete and truly immersive experience.
How to use D-BOX for any PC game
Not only is our catalogue of fully integrated games rapidly growing, but users also have the ability to play any PC game with haptic feedback thanks to our Adaptive Gaming mode.
Adaptive Gaming mode allows users to customize and map out various haptic effects from our library to different inputs (ex: setting the space bar to provide a jumping sensation). This mode is compatible with controllers, a mouse, wheels, HOTAS and more accessories, and, our haptic designers have created multiple pre-made haptic profiles for the biggest games out there—allowing you live a premium haptic experience without using telemetry data! For these games, it’s our in-house team of experts who map out the effects.
Beyond just games
While videogames are without a doubt enhanced by D-BOX haptic feedback, so are movies, TV shows, music and more! We are actually best known for our immersive cinematic experience and have hand-coded more than 2500 pieces of content in collaboration with movie directors and Hollywood studios. This collaboration ensures that each sensation is ultra realistic and that it enhances the storytelling, as defined by the content creators themselves!
Those who own a D-BOX gaming chair also have the ability to watch movies & TV shows with haptic feedback, enhancing their entertainment from A to Z. The same can be said for those who own a D-BOX sim racing rig—they can be moved by their entertainment as well, transforming their rigs from a racing tool to a fully immersive sim racing hub!
Cheers to the future of interactive entertainment
D-BOX gaming stands at the forefront of innovation, pioneering the integration of haptic technology into the gaming experience. With a commitment to pushing the boundaries of immersion and realism, we look forward to continuing to redefine the future of entertainment—so get ready to elevate your gaming experience with D-BOX, where every touch brings you closer to the action!
