Gaming has come on leaps and bounds since I was young. Back then it was quite basic – tape cassette-bound games that took an eternity of an interminable screeching sound to load up, then, provided it did load, 8-bit graphics, questionable quality music and gameplay about as smooth as an 8-bit badger’s backside. No HD, no Dolby, no surround, and absolutely no haptic feedback. Frankly, I don’t know how I made it to adulthood.
Yes, today’s video gamers with all their ultra-high-def resolution displays, break-neck-speed streaming and Dolby Atmos immersive audio don’t know they’re born! But if there’s one element of the ultimate gaming experience that’s been a tad slow to really take things to the next-gen level, it’s haptic feedback.
Sure, we’ve had vibrating controllers for digital donkey’s years and feedback in the form of certain racing steering wheel rigs, but the very latest haptic enhancements to your gaming set-up can elevate your enjoyment across all game genres to almost God-like levels.
Imagine haptic hearing on the battlefield, gifting you the tactical advantage as the explosions rip around you and, if you don’t heed the haptic warning, feel the shots slam into you shortly afterwards via your ears. Imagine actually feeling the impact of said shots, explosions and recoil from heavy weapons fire registering on your torso in real-time. Imagine throttling back and forth through the cyber sky, turning barrel rolls with precision and knife-edging between buildings as you home in on your target, all with acrobatically precise, dynamic feedback. Well, a lot of that is now possible. Albeit often for a lot of money.
However, do not despair, fond thumbs user, for there are actually some incredible essential haptic feedback accessories out there that still fall into the realms of “the affordable”; and I’ve plucked out the very best, played with them, and felt the full force of the heightened gaming glory they bring.
So, strap in, strap up, and strap on. I’ll see you in the online arena…
Best haptic feedback gaming gear at a glance:
Next Level Racing HF8 Gaming Pad
Best for: Affordable immersion for PC play
Racing sims have come on immeasurably since the nostalgic old days of blocky graphics, dodgy physics, blurred backgrounds and, in the case of arcade classic Outrun, a blonde in every passenger seat. Indeed, now more realistic than real life, simulators today boast digitally rendered hypercars that resemble their actual world equivalents in utterly painstaking detail - even down to unerring engine notes - to deliver an as-never-before unparalleled experience to the hands of the virtual driver.
But while sim steering wheel, pedals and gearstick rigs have evolved alongside to deliver precision feedback with every hairpin, unless you spend an absolute F1 podium winner’s prize money on a fully equipped cockpit-style chair set-up, the one thing you won’t experience is the real-time sensation of the bumps and vibrations that are all part and parcel of the racing on a real track or rally stage. Unless that is, you pay out a mere pittance by comparison on the HF8 Gaming Pad from Next Level Racing.
Costing just three Aryton Sennas under £200, you can transform almost any chair into a gaming throne for driving or flying sims, just hook up to your PC via USB and a 3.5mm audio jack for instant haptic immersion.
The official cockpit partner of Scuderia Ferrari and endorsed by countless real-world pro drivers of all shapes and sizes, eight haptic vibration motors deliver every bang and bump right to your body in a lovely low-latency style.
With adjustable feedback intensity, you can go all out on G-Force in the air and ground effect on terra firma or keep it all subtle and suggestive, the choice is yours.
Well-padded for comfort too, can the HF8 be used with consoles too? Well, yes, but only using the audio connection, so if it’s something most flexible you’re looking for, sit tight…
Buy now £170.00, Next Level Racing
Woojer Fortnite VEST 3
Best for: The very vest you can get
Stand to attention, because you’re going to want to take full note of this.
Do you like a bit of a battle? Do you often order your battles royale-sized? Do you love the thrill of the chase, of being hunted, being the hunter, ducking, diving and far too often dying? Well, take all that and wrap it up in the coolest-looking slice of accessory apparel ever. Then add in no fewer than six potently power-packed haptic drivers (patented Osci V2 TRX transducers) covering the front, back and sides of the torso for the most thrillingly immersive gaming experience you’re going to get this side of, say, the year 2050, and there you have it: the VEST 3 from Woojer – in no uncertain way, essential attire for every game from now on.
With a Texas Instruments built-in analogue headphone amplifier, 3.5mm stereo headphones out, 3.5mm stereo line-in supporting TRRS input (mic), built-in dual Bluetooth 5.0 if you want to go wireless with your cans, and USB-C audio in, the VEST 3 boasts built-in independent headphones and haptics volume control on the front left breast panel, meaning you can alter settings in-game without having to faff around with an app and potentially having your plus a Lithium-ion battery that gives a solid eight hours of truly mind-blowing play, charging to full again in just three hours.
Offering a remarkable full 360-degree haptic body massage that will literally rock your world, the 1.6kg waistcoat of wonder is solidly built out of breathable fabrics to stop you from getting all unnecessary damp during your downtime and the black aesthetic adds an edge of sexiness. Also, armed with adjustable straps, you can find the perfect fit whether you’re small or XXL…
Now, eagle-eyed readers will have spotted that this is the Fortnite Special Edition version of the VEST 3, which does cost more than the standard model, but with a hotter-than-a-Hot Drop Fortnite-themed washable lining and codes included for a Director's Cut Pickaxe and a Jolly Roger Glider that none of your mates will have, it’s worth every penny more.
Compatible with PC, Android, Apple, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and Meta, the review model arrived just before Christmas and, yes, gentle reader, it was as though Christmas had come early, my teen son and I putting it through its paces at a savage rate, chuckling, gasping and sometimes even swearing in awe like, well, a freshly minted teenager and an aged bloke reduced to a child again. Through Call of Duty and Fortnite, every rumble, every thump, every hit, every bang and every boom is brought to physical life in a form of low-to-no latency magic that elevates even games this good to dizzying new heights.
Needless to say, the Woojer VEST 3 saw more sweat than maybe it should have, it also took quite a beating in the VR realm when we paired it with the Meta Quest 3 and one of us took out a non-VR coffee table when we got carried away, all of which attests to its durability.
Mark my words, immersive excitement seeker, this is next-level stuff, this is a gaming game-changer, this is Woojer VEST 3.
Buy now £422.00, Woojer
Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense
Best for: Haptic hearing
All gamers know the name Razer – from PCs and consoles designed to dole out the purest and most powerful gaming experiences imaginable to every conceivable peripheral for enhancing that experience still further, Razer’s reputation amongst electronic entertainment’s most demanding is on a god-like tier. So, it’ll come as a surprise to absolutely nobody that its Kraken V3 HyperSense over-ear headphones are the hap-in-the-head revolution your ears have been searching for.
Wired for sound, 50mm titanium drivers deliver big, well-balanced audio, bringing every rustle, every whisper to your attention while simultaneously laying on the 7.1 surround soundtrack like you’ve got the best seat in the Albert Hall, all whilst intelligent haptic technology converts sound signals into dynamic touch-sensory feedback in real-time, giving the elated user realistic vibrations that vary in direction, duration and intensity to providing immersive, natural sensations that sink you fully into the game and provide accurate aural positional information.
Featuring a detachable HyperClear Cardioid mic, voice capture also comes crystal-clear, and Razer Chroma RGB gives access to 16.8 million colours and a suite of lighting effects. Letting you light up your cans anyway you care to.
Comfortable too, thanks to hybrid fabric and leatherette memory foam cushions, isolation from outside audio is reduced to near-nothing, allowing you to concentrate on the game in hand and the exact direction your noisy nemesis is operating in.
Compatible with PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, get ahead in your gaming, get Kraken V3 HyperSense headphones.
Buy now £130.00, Razer
Woojer Strap 3
Best for: Affordable strap-on feedback fun
Love the idea of the Woojer VEST 3 but don’t have anywhere near the necessary number of notes to acquire one. Well, fret not, my phenomenal feedback-famished friend, for Woojer, has an alternative to its wonder waistcoat, and not only does it cost considerably less, but it’s also far more portable.
Yep, say hello to the Strap 3. Seen here resplendent in Fortnite Special Edition livery for £146 (reduced from £194), the Strap also comes available in a Call of Duty design for the same price, or in a wide range of colours for just £124 (reduced from £175).
With built-in Bluetooth 5.0 to connect to any wireless headphones and your device of choice, analogue inputs are also available in the shape of a 3.5mm stereo line-in supporting TRRS input (mic) and a USB-C audio-in.
Taking care of all that audio is a Texas Instruments analogue headphone amplifier, while lifting the whole shebang to the roof is a single Osci V2 TRX transducer which brings that whole new dimension of real-time haptic feedback right to your sternum, whether gaming, checking out the latest films, doing whatever it is you personally do in VR or just enjoying bass-heavy beats.
Complete with an LED-packed belt buckle, operable by app, a full charge will give a good eight hours of pure entertainment, and a three-hour charge will put you right back in the game.
All that next-level, extra-dimensional awesomeness, and for £124. Strap yourself in, it’s going to be one haptic hell of a ride!
Buy now £124.00, Woojer
Moza Racing AB9 FFB
Best for: Flights of force feedback fancy
Flight simulators, you either love them or you’re largely indifferent to them, there tends to be no middle ground. But if you are of the armchair aviator ilk, you’re going to want to equip your pit of cock with the finest flight deck kit available to make the sky-based sojourn as realistic as possible.
Now, with the sheer volume and variety of planes available on Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (PC/Xbox) from the historical highs of the Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" to the epic long-haul likes of the Boeing 747-8I and even the incredible aerobatic insanity of the Extra EA-330, as best witnessed in the Red Bull Air Race, there’s a cloud car to suit every flying style.
So, you might imagine that there would also be an embarrassment of haptic response yokes and/or flightsticks available to make your time in the pilot’s seat more true to life… but you’d be imagining all wrong. In fact, while you can lay your hands on ample stick and throttle set-ups that try to accurately ape real flight when it comes to precise, dynamic feedback that really gives you the immersive lift you need, you’re going to need the AB9 FFB from Moza Racing.
Right, first things first, this is a Base unit to which you’ll need to add a flight stick (or sidestick), which Moza can also help you with, but it also comes compatible with third-party sticks, so you’re not tied in any way.
Built from aviation-grade aluminium alloy with a fanless design for a more peaceful flight time, the dual servo motor-packing AB9 FFB features Moza’s proprietary MCLS Force Feedback Technology and high-resolution encoder, meaning it provides an exceptionally accurate and immersive experience that covers various flight conditions such as taxi, take-off, landing and turbulence.
This, naturally, makes it the perfect choice for both those who just like to sky-sim and those in actual pilot training. And although the cost may seem a little steep, if it’s airborne authenticity you seek then this is the price you need to pay.
Compatible with all the leading flight simulator games, whether it’s “I believe in an instrument panel, a pressure gauge, a compass, things I can see and touch”, “Cabin crew doors to manual and cross check” or simply “Smoke on!”, the Moza Racing AB9 FFB Base is here to bring flight feedback home.
Buy now £549.00, Overclockers
