eSports / technology

If you've ever wanted more of an immersive experience while playing your favourite games, then it looks like 2019 is going to be your year! There have been many new pieces of tech flowing out of the CES this year, and the series of coverage continues! This time around we are going to look at a couple new pieces of tech that will actually let you FEEL the game! This stuff can bring a whole new level to eSports competitions! Let's go! The Teslasuit If you're a Ready Player One fan, you might be elated to know that the Tesla suit that was discussed in 2018 was actually able to be tried at CES this year. That's right! They have a prototype! The Teslasuit is designed to bring haptic feedback to your entire body while you're playing a multitude of VR games. the technology is coined at "Electro-tactile haptic feedback" which doesn't just employ vibration. It actually stimulates your nerves through electrical pulses. So basically, your whole body is coved in tens unit pads! The suit is fully programmable and the sensations can be adjusted based on your physical strength as to not hurt you or make the experience too jarring. You can feel impacts, falls, drops, shots, hitting solid surfaces, and other such sensations. Bonus, the suit is climate controlled and has a biometric monitoring system! I would imagine it would get quite hot. It is intended for group play and is the process of coming to consumers, but the price tag will probably be pretty steep. However, I expect to see these on Pro VR competitors before the year is out! HyperX head tracking and 360 audio Even Audio is getting more immersive when it comes to professional gaming. There have been a couple articles where I have touched on wearable speakers and the Razer line that has haptic audio (more on that in a moment) and it seems HyperX has gone a bit of a different route. The Cloud Orbit S series headsets have head tracking built in and it tracks your movements an astounding 1,000 times a second and employs 360 audio. So what's the big deal and what makes them useful? The 100mm planar magnetic drivers create crisp surround sound audio and this paired with the head tracking allows you to actually "look" towards sounds. If you hear an enemy, you can hone in on the sound by simply moving your head in that direction. It can also be used when other software (still some in development) to allow you to control character motions in game. Leaning out from cover, dodging, and looking around corners. It won't be cheap, around $330, but there are plenty of players that love a gimmick! Razer Hypersense Now, for the PC gamers, the world of full immersion is upon thanks to the innovations at Razer brought on by their Razer Nari headset line that debuted last year! This year at CES they brought an entire rig of haptic goodness to the floor for everyone to try out! The rig that many tested out came kitted with the Nari Ultimate headset, a chair from Subpac, and a Lofelt haptic mouse and keyboard wrist rest! You are completely covered when it comes to sensation. The mouse allows you to feel recoil without affecting your aim, the chair simulates explosions and sensations from behind you, the wrist rest gets the action off to the sides! Then, of course, you have the 360 audio and feedback from the headset! Those that tested it said it really felt incredible and like you were really in the game! Price points haven't been announced but it will probably be pretty pricey! You will more than likely have to buy all the peripheries from different companies unless this paves the way for a new partnership line! Have you seen any immersion technology that you would like to try out? How much would you be willing to pay to feel the games you play? Let me know below! Stay tuned for more similar content and e-sports!! Have a fantastic day, @SammoSK