REVIEW – As I began penning this evaluate, I did the maths and realized I’ve been taking part in digital actuality video games for practically a decade now (beginning with the Oculus Rift developer package 2 in 2014). Even with that early {hardware} there have been superb moments which might be etched in my reminiscence, like when my cockpit was taking pictures sparks and smoke in Elite Harmful and I involuntarily sniffed the air to see what it smelled like. These moments are fleeting although, more often than not I’ve at all times been fairly conscious that I’m in a VR sport and never fairly absolutely immersed, although it’s nonetheless loads of enjoyable to play. When the provide to evaluate the Woojer haptic wearable Vest 3 got here in, I shortly volunteered to see if vibrating haptics throughout gameplay would add extra immersion or if it could simply be a gimmicky buzzing vest.
What’s it?
The Woojer haptic wearable Vest 3 is a wearable vest that interprets low frequency audio out of your video games (or music or some other audio) into haptic vibrations that you simply really feel in your chest and again. Consider the tiny buzzing motor in your cellphone or smartwatch, after which amplify that by an element of 10 and you’ve got a tough concept of what it’s doing. The Vest 3 is good for a VR gaming setup (both with PC VR gaming, Meta Quest VR, or Ps VR), however it could additionally work nice in quite a lot of different eventualities the place you’d wish to really really feel your music with out resorting to a room-shaking subwoofer.
What’s included?
- Woojer Sequence 3 Vest
- USB PD charger
- USB-C cable
- 3.5mm headphone cable
Tech specs
Click on to develop
- Haptic motors: 6x Osci™ V2 TRX haptic transducers
- Haptic frequency vary: 1-250Hz
- Inbuilt headphone amplifier: Texas Devices analog headphone amplifier
- Headphone output: 138mW into 16ohm headphones
- Microphone assist: helps TRRS headphones connector
- Bluetooth: 5.0 Twin (each transmit and obtain)
- Aux in: 3.5 mm stereo, helps TRSS (mic)
- USB: USB-C audio-in supported
- BLE for app management future firmware updates
- Battery: Lithium-Ion 14.4V
- Battery cost time: 3 hours with USB-C PD charging (20V solely)
- Battery life: As much as 8 hours playtime, relying on haptic degree utilization
- Weight: 3 lbs / 1.5 kg
- Measurement: Adjustable straps, one measurement matches most (~Medium to XXL)
Design and options
The Woojer haptic wearable Vest 3 seems to be roughly like a visitors security vest, however thicker. Clasps and buckles mixed with adjustable straps imply it may match many physique shapes (they are saying roughly from measurement M – XXL). I’m often carrying males’s XL shirts, and there’s room to go greater as soon as I’ve it adjusted for me. I acquired a white Vest 3 which matches my Meta Quest 3 properly, whereas there’s additionally a black colorway obtainable if you happen to desire that (it seems to be just like the black one has some good purple accents as effectively).
A management panel with bodily buttons makes adjusting your quantity and haptic ranges straightforward whereas in-game, whereas LED lights show ranges and knowledge whereas the vest is on. A big energy button turns the gadget on and off, surprisingly. On the underside of this management panel are a pair of three.5 mm jacks – one to hook up with your gadget (although you may as well join through Bluetooth if most well-liked), and the opposite to hook up with wired headphones or earbuds. The Vest 3 sports activities an honest headphone amplifier built-in, I examined each headphones and wired earbuds and the sound is nice and loud by way of each.
Across the again is the place I presume the battery is housed, and a USB-C port for charging is situated (with a big purple sticker pointing it out).
There’s additionally a USB-C port in entrance, however that is for audio enter solely, ensure you solely plug the facility cable into the again.
Lastly, my evaluate unit got here with a washable liner to forestall sweaty again odors from getting on the vest (very appreciated).
Meeting, Set up, Setup
First, you’ll wish to cost the Woojer haptic wearable Vest 3. A big purple sticker warns you the place to plug within the charger on the again, and so they have warnings within the guide as effectively to not use different non-PD-20V chargers to cost it. Stated guide additionally has straightforward to know setup directions and a QR code to seize their app. The app is optionally available for a wired headphone setup, however if you wish to use Bluetooth you’ll want it to pair issues to and with the vest. I attempted to arrange the app on my Pixel 9 Professional but it surely refused to search out and hook up with the Vest 3, then I attempted on an iPhone and that labored:
Above are three screenshots, exhibiting the pairing display screen, then the primary management interface, and eventually the Bluetooth headphones pairing possibility. You possibly can tweak the haptics to reply in a different way for various frequencies (like an equalizer for audio system). Quantity ranges and depth may be managed right here too. It was straightforward to tweak issues and hook up with Bluetooth headphones, although I later switched to wired to scale back the latency whereas gaming.
Efficiency
I attempted the Woojer haptic wearable Vest 3 out with shooter video games, music rhythm video games, and the very enjoyable new Batman: Arkham Shadow sport on the Meta Quest 3. I had initially deliberate on capturing some mixed-reality video to associate with this evaluate, however as I used to be testing out the vest I spotted that it’s very arduous to visually present what the vest is doing, so I’ll do my greatest to explain it.
With default settings and haptic depth to a degree 5, I began by merely listening to some music, and the feeling is much like sitting in a automobile with an overpowered subwoofer. Every bass drum hit feels prefer it’s thumping you in a means that you simply solely get in any other case by way of giant highly effective audio system. For sure, I used to be excited to check out motion and shooter video games after that!
In taking pictures and combating video games, most gunshots and melee blows are accompanied by louder bass sounds. With the Vest 3 on, you are feeling these photographs or blows as a thump in your entire higher physique. In some eventualities, I might even really feel the path of the shot/blow when the haptics hit more durable on only one aspect of my physique.
I had an absolute blast taking part in quite a lot of video games, although after I switched to rhythm video games like Beat Saber and Pistol Whip that depend on exact timing that goes together with music, I spotted the Bluetooth earbuds I used to be utilizing had been undoubtedly a bit behind what my eyes had been seeing, which made a lot of these video games rather more tough. I dug up some wired headphones, and the distinction was fast. The sound was higher even on outdated OEM earbuds (the type you used to get with Samsung telephones 5+ years in the past) than with my greater finish Bluetooth earbuds, and the audio latency was gone. This meant that the haptics and the sound itself was completely synced to the onscreen motion, and I proceeded to totally take pleasure in my check classes.
When you’re taking part in a sport with a music soundtrack going within the background, Woojer recommends turning it down or off to extend the immersion issue. That is good recommendation, taking part in Half Life: Alyx was simply fixed haptic vibration till I turned off the music. What you lose in atmospheric music you acquire in bodily sensations linked to in-game audio.
What I like concerning the Woojer haptic wearable Vest 3
- Very sturdy haptic motors that may be tamed and tuned with the controls and app
- Ready to hook up with each your gaming gadget and headphones/earbuds concurrently through Bluetooth
- Provides a ton of immersion to motion, music, and exercise video games when used with VR
What must be improved?
- Even after tuning, Bluetooth headphones aren’t absolutely in sync in video games – you’ll wish to go along with wired headphones or earbuds for greatest audio efficiency
- Want it supported USB-C audio gadgets: I’ve gaming earbuds that use a USB-C connection for very low latency gameplay however these didn’t work with the Vest 3 (USB-C audio in is supported from the gaming gadget, however not out to different gadgets).
Last ideas
As my evaluate interval with the Woojer haptic wearable Vest 3 involves a detailed, I’ve already begun 3D printing a hook to hold up the vest for simple entry. I’ll undoubtedly be grabbing it together with my Quest 3 as I play VR video games sooner or later. Whereas it isn’t a silver bullet for good VR immersion, I consider it extra like including a high-end subwoofer to your VR setup’s sound system. In some video games it actually does offer you a pleasant jolt: I practically screamed out loud when an sudden zombie in Arizona Sunshine clawed me from behind and I felt the blow after I wasn’t anticipating it. I might see this vest being an incredible add-on for folks spending loads of time in VR taking pictures/combating/exercise video games that need extra immersion, or for the school dorm/condo dweller that misses the thump of subwoofers however doesn’t wish to anger each neighbor in each path whereas they play video games or take pleasure in different media.
Value: $399.99
The place to purchase: Woojer
Supply: The pattern of this product was supplied totally free by Woojer. Woojer didn’t have a remaining say on the evaluate and didn’t preview the evaluate earlier than it was revealed.