INTRODUCTION

    Even though PC gamers put weight on both hardware components (CPU, RAM, GPU) and peripherals (screens, gaming mice and keyboards) there's actually one type of gaming peripheral that doesn't seem to have received nearly the attention it deserves. I am of course referring to haptic devices which thanks to various motors can transmit tactile information (either as vibrations or motions) thus allowing end users to experience gaming, movies and music like never before. The very first haptic gaming peripherals I had the chance to review a few years back were by Woojer and since their product lines have been updated since then today, I'll be testing the latest Vest 3 (S3).

    Woojer is a pioneer in the field of haptic technology with a fundamental patent portfolio and products that deliver high fidelity tactile sensation which reproduce the rich emotion of sound. Our team are visionaries who understand the intertwined relationship between sound, vision, emotion and immersion. The Woojer team has a proven track record of bringing disruptive products to market and are backed by influential industry leaders.

    Although improved in several of its aspects the Vest 3 (which is currently available in plain black, numerous calls of duty and fortnight black variants and white made for meta VR) is actually very similar to the original Vest Edge which I reviewed many years back. So once again Woojer has introduced a lightweight vest (also made out of breathable synthetic fabrics and plastic) inside which they've mounted 6 patented sensory points (OSCI V2 TRX transducers which this time over offer a wider frequency range of 1Hz-250Hz), Bluetooth v5.0 TX/RX module (A2DP / BLE / dual connectivity), DSP, built-in analog headphones amplifier by Texas Instruments (again delivers a stronger138mW output into 16ohm - 0.1% THD+N), exterior controls with activity LEDs and a 4SP Li-On battery pack (14.4V) that can keep it running for up to 8 hours (recharge time is roughly 3 hours with the bundled fast charger). The above components allow the Vest 3 to produce surround 7.1 and stereo sound, offer 3 different modes (gaming, broad and focused) and connect wirelessly to both your PC and your headset/speakers. I was surprised to see that Woojer has also placed a chair-mount for the Vest 3 allowing you to mount it onto a gaming chair to avoid having to wear and remove it every single time (unfortunately this extra wasn't sent to us with the sample). Needless to say, just like with the original Vest Edge the Vest 3 is covered by a 12 month limited warranty and also fully conforms to the UL (60065), CE (60065) and FCC regulations while its EMF Magnetic Field is ~5% of the ICNIRP safety guidelines.