Scroll Wheels, Clicky Comebacks, and Haptics That Mess With Hunger

The March Edition of All Things Haptics

Hey Haptics Insider,

Welcome to the latest edition of All Things Haptics. This issue covers product releases, teardown coverage, auto reporting, and recent research to highlight what is worth paying attention to in the haptics industry.

Inside, there’s the MacBook Neo trackpad, Rivian’s scroll-wheel, and a seriously packed resources section, including newer studies on robotics, rehab, VR, and even hunger perception.

We’re here to educate, entertain, and save your time and eyeballs from the rampant “haptics” articles that are just AI slop. So, let’s dive right in!

Top Stories & Releases

💻 Acer goes Big on Haptics - The new Acer Swift 16 AI pairs its OLED touchscreen with what Acer says is the world’s largest haptic trackpad. (CanBuyorNot)

🚘 Rivian Adds Haptic Steering Controls - Rivian says its R2 “Haptic Halo Wheels” let drivers navigate vehicle functions through tactile steering wheel controls, with a form factor that looks like a mouse scroll wheel. (iPhoneinCanada / YouTube)

💻 MacBook Neo Drops Force Touch - iFixit’s teardown shows that the new MacBook Neo drops Apple’s Force Touch system and brings back a mechanical trackpad, the first MacBook to do so since 2015. (iFixIt)

🏎️ Ferrari Admits Touch Went Too Far - After owner backlash, Ferrari is offering retrofit steering wheels that replace all haptic controls except the start button with physical buttons. (Car and Driver)

🎮 PSVR2 on PC has more Buzz - Road to VR reports that hackers have effectively “jailbroken” PSVR 2 on PC, claiming they’ve unlocked headset haptics and eye-tracking that Sony’s official PC support leaves disabled. (RoadtoVR)

🚗 Audi brings Buttons Back - Audi’s updated A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron restore physical steering-wheel controls, another move away from touch-heavy cabin inputs. (Car and Driver/ Yahoo)

📱 Nothing Updates the Feel - Nothing’s latest Phone (3) software update adds “improved vibration and haptic feedback stability in certain scenarios.” (GizmoChina)

🎮 Razer Fills in the Haptic Gaps - Razer’s new Dynamic Haptics system combines developer-authored Sensa HD effects with Audio-to-Haptics, designed to “fill in the quieter gameplay moments between big scripted events.” (TechPowerUp)

🤘 Metallica at the Sphere with Haptics - Sad but True, a recent Metallica Sphere guide mentions haptic wristbands alongside the venue’s better-known vibrations seats. (MensJournal)

New Studies & Resources

🎻 Robot-mediated Haptic Feedback Outperforms Vision - A study found robot-mediated haptic feedback improved violin duo coordination more than vision alone, with the best results coming from combined audio, visual, and haptic input. (Science Robotics)

🦾 The Challenges of Haptics in Robotics - A quick interview with Stanford engineering professor Allison Okamura on what still makes haptics in robotics difficult, from technical integration to making feedback genuinely useful. (YouTube)

🏃 Power-up or Placebo-Powered? -A blinded crossover trial found that a haptic patch produced statistically significant improvements in knee extension and flexion in college athletes, with the greatest improvement reported at 70 to 80 minutes of wear. (PubMed)

🥽 Haptics improve Precision in VR Rehab - A new Scientific Reports paper found that wearable haptic guidance in immersive VR improved movement precision and reduced variability during rehabilitation tasks. (Scientific Reports)

🫃 Gut-based Haptics Alter Hunger Perception - A CHI 2026 paper reports that stomach-applied audio-haptic feedback changed perceived hunger and fullness, and in one condition increased how much water people drank. (Arxiv)

🎓 Haptics Class, Actual Output - This Innsbruck haptics class turned out force-feedback games, rehab concepts, and some properly hands-on tactile experiments. I love a good hackery project! (UIBK.AT)

📱 iPhone Haptics, Loved and Rationed - Cult of Mac makes the case for turning keyboard buzz on for the feel, while CNET puts it back on the battery-saving chopping block. (Cnet / Cult of Mac)

Thanks for Reading

That’s it for this edition. More soon, including a special edition on newly published patents.

If you have not already, you can subscribe, support as a VIP, or share to help spread the word. And if you spot something worth sharing, send it my way. This newsletter is here to support you and help grow the industry.

Yours truly,

Ashley Huffman

Founder, All Things Haptics
Strategic Partnerships at TITAN Haptics
Co-Founder of Haptics Club Podcast
Follow me on LinkedIn, X and Bsky