Haptic feedback has become one of those buzzwords that is becoming synonymous with the PS5 , and to some extent Xbox Series X as well. For Xbox One and PS4 came the chants of 4K and 60 FPS and, now, as we look at the next generation consoles there are other much more complicated phrases about the next big innovations in game technology like ray tracing and haptic feedback. and we are going to talk about the latter today.
While ray tracing seeks to improve visual fidelity and the overall look of games by enhancing the realism of textures, shadows and light reflections, haptic feedback is about adding realism to the way games feel (not emotionally as is obvious, but in the form of physical feedback on the controller or other peripherals in a more nuanced and realistic way than the traditional vibration of the game controllers).
But let’s start at the beginning, which is to explain what this buzzword consists of that in theory improves the traditional vibration of game controllers (since it is not only for controllers, but also for steering wheels and other peripherals).
What is haptic feedback?
Any gamer, or anyone with a mobile phone, will be well versed in the art of vibration feedback. Whether you are receiving a WhatsApp or a call, experiencing the rumble of your machine gun while shooting in an FPS or colliding with another vehicle in a racing game, that sensation of vibration and its intensity is very familiar to everyone today.
The problem is that the traditional vibration is in a single level, with little or no variation in terms of intensity levels regardless of its cause.
That’s where haptic feedback comes in, which consists of better simulating how it would feel to touch or interact with something in real life, allowing more precise vibrations that help better represent what is happening in games. Instead of the explosive controller vibrations we’ve had until now, the haptic feedback allows for much more subtlety, from the delicate splash of raindrops to a huge explosion that shakes up the walls.
While we may not immediately see some of the visual enhancements that come with PS5 and Xbox Series X such as 8K resolution for example, the benefits of haptic technology are immediate. Its goal is to increase your immersion in the games, allowing you to feel more physically connected to what you are doing while playing.
In other words, this phrase as bombastic as haptic feedback is that the vibration motors of the controllers and peripherals have been greatly improved, allowing game developers to adapt the intensity and frequency of the game much more precisely. vibrations and even how they vibrate to really make players feel what is happening in their games.
So does it improve the feeling of immersion?
Razer‘s Jeevan Aurol, who has worked with the company’s haptic HyperSense technology, explained that the benefits of haptic feedback are easily palpable for any gamer, especially since it is “much simpler than images or sound. Audio is usually very subjective, depending on how tuned the user is to the subtle differences, but when it comes to haptic feedback, it’s something the user feels. ”
Positional audio already helps us to perceive where sounds are coming from, and if this is combined with a tactile experience, which the user can feel in their own hands, it undoubtedly helps the feeling of immersion in games to be much more intense. Therefore, answering the question, the answer is yes, haptic feedback helps to improve immersion, although it must be borne in mind that this ultimately depends on the “love” that the game developer has given to this feature .
