Apple’s Haptic Trailer, Nintendo’s Quiet Tweak, and Ferrari Bails on Capacitive Touch
The latest edition of All Things Haptics Newsletter
Greetings Haptics Insider,
Welcome to the latest edition of All Things Haptics. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or burying your head in beach sand, you’ve seen the haptics headline of the month.
Apple’s new F1 haptic movie trailer was everywhere. It uses haptics to make your iPhone vibrate in sync with the engine revs and gear shifts. From niche tech blogs to car culture sites to Forbes and Fast Company, it dominated the feed.
Clickbait headlines flooded socials with takes like “Apple Revolutionizes Cinema” and “The Future of Film.“ You already know the truth.
Apple wasn’t the first to make a haptic movie trailer. They were just the first to make it go viral. Like most things in tech, it’s not always about who does it first. It’s often about who makes it matter by doing it loud or hitting the moment just right.
In 2016, Immersion created a haptic trailer for Jason Bourne, along with research on its effectiveness
Between 2018 and 2020, Sony Xperia phones featured ‘dynamic vibration systems’ aka vibration synced with music, movies and games (video)
Truthfully, Apple’s version is enchanting. And that is a good thing for the industry. If you get the chance to try it, it is worth a feel.
That’s the headline everyone saw. Now here’s the full picture, with product releases, launches, events, and studies shaping the haptics world this month.
The Latest News
🎮 Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition - Bundles the Quest 3S with an Xbox controller and Game Pass Ultimate. Includes Touch Plus controllers with TruTouch haptics. No mention of haptics in the Xbox controller. (Xbox)
🪙 Nintendo Switch 2 Launches with Haptics Update - The new system includes updated vibration settings and a feature that turns off rumble automatically during long sessions. (YouTube / MSN)
🧩 Azoteq Updates Its Haptic ICs - The new IQS391 and IQS397 chips combine sensing and actuation in one package. A continuation of their earlier work in compact tactile interfaces. (WeVolver)
🏎️ Ferrari Reconsiders Touchscreens - After driver pushback, Ferrari is phasing out capacitive controls in favor of physical buttons. “Too often it was hands on the wheel, but also eyes on the wheel," Enrico Galliera, Ferrari. (Car Buzz)
🌡 Nokia’s Haptics? - At IEEE World Haptics, Nokia and WEART showed a glove that simulates temperature changes in XR. Heat and cold used as context cues.(Website)
⌨️ Macropad with Haptics for Designers - The BNK-16 macropad gives designers haptic control over shortcuts and sliders. It is tactile UX tuned for people who think with their hands. (Yanko Design)
📱 Apple Revisits Solid-State Buttons - Apple has reportedly resumed development on haptic buttons for iPhones, iPads, and Watches after shelving the idea last year. (Dataconomy)
🌐 Meta Plans Vibration Support in Horizon - Meta says basic vibration is coming to mobile versions of Horizon Worlds. A small feature, but part of a larger effort to improve presence. They also launched a one million dollar competition to boost engagement. (website)
🕹 Pinball With More Punch - X-Arcade’s haptics kit brings vibration and physical response to digital pinball setups. A nod to the feel of the old machines. (Upload VR)
🎧 Sony Explores Audio Tactile Pairing - Sony engineers are testing ways to combine sound and vibration to support perception and mood. (Sony)
👟 Haptic Navigation by Shoe - The InnoMake smart shoes from Tec-Innovation use vibration to guide blind users around obstacles and corners. Designed for everyday environments. (propakistani)
Events
🧪 IEEE World Haptics Conference (live now) - Now underway in South Korea, the conference brings together researchers to share work on tactile technologies, perception, and interaction design. (MK)
🌪 Follow the Tingle Brick Road - The Sphere’s new Wizard of Oz experience includes 4D sound and infrasound haptics. Lasers and 167,000 speakers support the illusion. (TicketNews)
📍 Haptics at AWE USA - Virtual bungee jumping, glove demos, and a few scattered appearances. Haptics didn’t steal the show, but it showed up. (LinkedIn / YouTube)
🗺 TITAN Maps the Global Haptics Circuit - From Stuttgart to Seoul, this roundup highlights the most popular places to nerd out in academic haptics. (website)
Grewus’ interACTIVE HAPTICS Conference - The Interactive Haptics Conference returns this September in Hamburg. (website)
Resources
🧵 String-Based Force Feedback - An open-source VR rig uses motorized strings to simulate resistance and motion in mid-air. No gloves required. (Hackster)
🚶 Subtle Signals for Virtual Steps - PropelWalker from CityU delivers directional haptic feedback to guide walking in VR. Less about realism, more about rhythm and intent. (CityU HK)
😱Thermal Illusions and Fear - This study shows how multisensory illusions, including haptics, can heighten emotional response in VR. When users believe they are being touched, fear increases. (Frontiers)
🖐VR Typing Without Touch - An Arduino-based wearable uses ultrasonic pulses to simulate keypress feedback in mid-air. A small example of haptics moving away from physical objects. (Arduino)
🧠 Programmable Feedback for Accessibility - Researchers at the University of Tsukuba built a haptic interface that adjusts resistance to support motor control. Developed for disabled users.(Mirage News)
📱Report on Touchscreens That Push Back –IDTechEx highlights emerging textured touchscreen tech that adds friction and shape to flat displays. It is the surface saying something back. (LinkedIn)
🤢 Force Feedback to Reduce Cybersickness - A CHI 2025 study finds that asymmetric force feedback may help reduce motion sickness in VR environments. (Linkedin)
🪶Modular Soft Robots for Haptics - EPFL’s Digits system uses compressed air to change shape, stiffness, and vibration in real time. Designed for use in VR and rehab contexts. (ACTU)
🧭 TouchSight and Perceptual Rerouting - TouchSight explores how haptic feedback can help blind users build spatial awareness. Focused on perception, not just assistance. (DL ACM)
🧤 Haptics for Parkinson’s Control - The Oncues system pairs a modular keyboard with wearable cuffs that provide rhythm-based haptic cues. Aimed at improving motor control. (Design Boom)
🏥Surgical Training Starts with Feel - Dr. Danny Goel argues that surgery should not begin in the operating room. Instead, simulation should build tactile fluency first. (LinkedIn)
Thanks for reading.
That’s all for this edition. As always, if you spotted something interesting or have a demo worth sharing, send it my way. If you missed it, I recently shared a special report on the current state of AI-generated content in haptics. Spoiler, it’s rough out there.
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Stay cool,
Ashley Huffman
Founder, All Things Haptics
Co-founder of Haptics Club Podcast
Partnerships at TITAN Haptics
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Ooh another newsletter so soon! The shoes for the blind is so cool.
But mostly THANK YOU for the Frontiers study. It's exactly the news I need.