Next Level Racing has taken the covers off its first foray into sensory engagement with the HF8.
A haptic feedback gaming pad, it can be placed upon any existing chair, be it of the gaming/office variety or a sim racing cockpit, to deliver a claimed heightened sense of immersion.
It makes use of eight individual haptic motors within a black, jacket-like, covering. This is then placed on a chair and connected via either USB or audio jack (depending on the device) plus a power supply.
On PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, you set-up with an audio jack, and it’s these sounds that influence the feedback.
On PC, you use USB, which allows for the renowned cockpit manufacturer’s own HFS software, currently in Beta. Here, you can set the strength of various parameters. Each of the eight motors can be tweaked across various potential feedback areas, such as gear changes, acceleration, braking and engine rpm.
The Australian company has created the HF8 with sim racing in mind, but also first-person shooters and flight simulations.
If you run over a kerb with just the left side of the car, for example, only the corresponding motors kick into life. A demonstration was shown at the SimRacing Expo in Germany with both iRacing and Assetto Corsa Competizione.
Pricing is yet to be revealed, and a firm launch date is expected soon, from mid-December 2022 to early January 2023.
