The report shows how haptics are being considered a first-order media type alongside audio and video for the first time, opening the doors of perception so that consumers can not only hear and see their content, but also feel it.
The White Paper, Haptics: The next modality in immersive entertainment, examines the current inflection point in the haptic technology development cycle, where haptics are now considered an essential element of modern entertainment systems. This shift is due to digital devices becoming more ubiquitous, making haptic technology more accessible to a wider public. From a commercial perspective, many in the diverse ecosystem of innovators, device manufacturers and content creators have high hopes for haptics: advances in standards and innovations such as advanced actuators, improved tactile sensors and more realistic feedback mechanisms are driving market growth.
The report reveals:
- The haptics market is growing rapidly: forecasts suggest that 4.1 billion haptic consumer devices will be in use in the audio/video, consumer electronics and wearables sectors by the end of 2024.
- By 2028, 53 percent of all consumer devices will be haptic
- Personal electronics offer new opportunities. While the smartphone is the natural starting point for haptic use cases, a greater variety of devices is expected to shape the market in the future in areas such as gaming consoles, tablets, headphones, smartwatches and virtual reality (VR) headsets.
- Extended Reality (XR) is a key market for haptics as the sense of touch enhances the user experience. By 2028, global shipments of XR devices are expected to triple to reach 60 million units.
- Haptic hardware is evolving rapidly, with haptic gloves being a particular focus. The primary use case for this hardware is gaming, which accounts for 75 percent of total XR shipments.
Historically, the lack of standards has hampered progress toward interoperability between platforms and vendors across the haptics ecosystem. This results in lengthy development cycles, proprietary methodologies, incompatible solutions, and low adoption—all factors the industry wants to avoid in the early stages of adopting new technologies. Fortunately, several leading standards organizations, including MPEG, IEEE, and Khronos Group, are partnering with the industry and working together to define the mechanisms and modalities for encoding haptic content and experiences. In fact, collaboration around standards is proving critical to seamless integration between devices and platforms worldwide.
“This white paper comes at a time when haptic technology is benefiting greatly from advances in electronics, materials science and consumer demand for immersive experiences,” said Lionel Oisel, VP and Head of Wireless Labs at InterDigital. “We see haptics as the next massive shift in how societies interact with technology, offering the opportunity for deeper engagement with content and services through immersive visual and sensory experiences. Looking ahead, the commercial viability of new services will depend on the standards that are now being defined, and we hope to continue to play a key role in shaping this emerging and exciting industry.”
