If you think virtual reality goggles are as realistic as games get, think again. Assassin's Creed developer Ubisoft has collaborated with OWO to bring players a haptic feedback shirt, allowing them to feel what the playable characters feel as they navigate through an open world.
Assassin's Creed Haptic Suit
Video games could only go so far to make the gameplay as immersive as they can by making lifelike graphics and fine-tuning audio, but Ubisoft and OWO are taking things further as they create a haptic suit that lets players physically feel the game as well.
The suit will feature an Assassin's Creed Mirage theme, which the companies claim will let players feel parkour, impacts, and "exclusive sensations never felt before." This is made possible by adding haptic points in several areas in the suit.
The "sensations" will be felt on the chest, stomach, lower back, and arms, through an algorithm that adjusts nine wave parameters which will simulate physical factors like the wind or a dagger, as reported by Engadget. What's more, is that you can use it for other games.
Through a mobile app, you can adjust the sensations from the haptic suit in certain games and calibrate them to your liking. It's not applicable to all games and most will need mods in order for them to work. However, it just takes a little tweaking which makes it worth it still.
As of right now, Ubisoft and OWO have not yet released specifics about the haptic suit, including its price or date of release. One of the details they did release is the device's compatibility with PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
You might be familiar with the concept of haptic suits, as was shown in the movie "Ready Player One." While this one does not display real-life lights where the in-game impact takes place, it serves the same purpose which is letting players feel the game as they play.
Read also: High-Tech Haptic Vest Brings 'Ready Player One' To Reality: Price, Release Date, How to Pre-Order
OWO's Haptic Technology
Most haptics only ever use vibration in order to mimic the interactions that players encounter within the game. With OWO, it has been taken to the next level as it reproduces an "infinite number of realistic physical sensations," as the company claims.
The creator of the suits also states that each body is different, which is why they allow users to calibrate the sensations to make the experience unique, as mentioned in Interesting Engineering. This makes an outcome of a "deep level of immersion you won't find anywhere else."
Through microsensations, players can calibrate the smallest unit, making the sensations more specific to the situation. Using OWO's algorithm, there are an infinite number of different sensations that can be created.
They will do so by imagining a sensation and modifying the parameters of the wave. For example, a gunshot wound has three microsensations such as the entry wound, the exit wound, and the bleeding, says the company.
Since it has ten various points of sensation in the upper body, the player will be able to feel more sensations based on in-game interactions like a kick in the back, a hit on the arm, or an arrow in the stomach. Since it's wireless, they can move freely as well.
