Virtual reality is already fairly immersive. Putting on one of the best VR headsets and finding yourself in an entirely new world is exciting and scary, but it is the closest we’ve come in gaming to truly feeling like we’re inside a game, Ready Player One style. However, action like getting shot or stabbed in games can take you out of it, due to the fact there’s no feeling when these things happen.
However, bHaptics have been making huge strides in an attempt to break the line between yourself and the virtual worlds you play in. Creating haptic feedback tech that replicates in-game pain and feeling, this new level of VR gaming offers unparalleled immersion. While it's not the only company in this industry, bHaptics is easily one of the most popular, and after a few weeks of enjoying the various products, it’s no surprise why.
Before we go further into the review, the products I’m reviewing today are the bHaptics TactSuit X40, the bHaptics TactVisor, and the bHaptics Tactosy for Arms. I’ll go over all of the products individually, before reviewing them as a full set, and giving an average score of all products combined.
First up is the bHaptics TactSuit X40. Fitted with 40 haptic motors across the entire vest, the TactSuit X40 is the most expensive accessory that bHaptics produces, setting you back $529. However, there is also the cheaper X16, which offers 16 haptic motors for $329, but offers less precise feedback.
Considering the high price, it’s no surprise that the bHaptics TactSuit X40 feels made of high-quality materials. The hard external shell feels sturdy and well-made, hiding away the various motors as well as a washable mesh lining, and its one-size-fits-all is incredible, compared to OWO’s vest which requires you to purchase a certain size. All of the clasps, buttons, and the primary zipper feel like they could last years of heavy use, allowing you to get the perfect size whenever you wear the device.
Much like the rest of the bHaptics lineup I’m reviewing, the TactSuit X40 connects to your PC or Quest headset via Bluetooth. There’s hundreds of compatible games in bHaptics’ compatibility list, but the peripherals also offer support for mods, further increasing the number of games that you can play with the TactSuit X40 and other accessories.
Each product comes with a handy Bluetooth dongle, meaning you don’t need to purchase a separate Bluetooth device for your PC, but obviously, the Quest 3 offers support for Bluetooth already. It’s a nice little addition, one that is completely unnecessary, but something that bHaptics offers to make it easier to play the best PCVR games.
The bHaptics Player app also allows you to adjust the intensity of the different motors within its products, which I bumped up to their maximum values for the most immersive experience. You can also use the software to test different in-game effects, and let me tell you, testing the electrocution effect is an experience that certainly proves how immersive these accessories can be.
Despite wearing the TactSuit X40 for multiple hours per session, it never felt uncomfortable. It’s a little heavy when you first wear it, but it feels balanced and secure once you fit it right. You may need to spend some time getting used to the feeling of wearing the TactSuit, but it’s impressively suitable for long gaming sessions, so long as you can handle playing VR games for hours on end.
And, as I slightly teased before, the haptic motors within the TactSuit X40 are seriously impressive. I suggest that you bump up the intensity in the software for the best experience, but the feeling of getting shot or stabbed is such a shock and surprise, that it blows my mind how much fun it adds to VR gaming.
Next up is the bHaptics Tactosy for Arms. Buying these will set you back $249 and offer a total of 12 haptic feedback points, six in each arm. These sleeves feel similarly well-built as the TactSuit X40, but getting them to fit is a bit more of a hassle. It can sometimes feel a bit too tight, or too loose, with not much in between. However, if you love playing sword-fighting games like myself, they’re almost a must-have for VR.
Fighting enemies in Blade and Sorcery and clashing swords enables the feedback points to start, giving you a sensation that you’re actually there, fighting an enemy in your house. The Tactosy for Arms, as well as the other bHaptics products I’ve tested, are extremely responsive, with a seemingly instant feedback time between the action in-game and the various feedback points.
The comfort levels for the Tactosy for Arms aren’t as great as the TactSuit X40, but it’s not bad enough to warrant telling you to avoid it - in fact, the exact opposite. While the best performance from these comes from more physical and close-fighting actions, such as Underdogs VR’s massive mech punches or stabbing enemies with katanas, they’re still fitting additions to your bHaptics setup. Especially, when compared to the TactVisor.
In all honesty, if I had to choose one product to say “don’t buy it”, it would be the TactVisor. The final product I’m reviewing here, the TactVisor offers four haptic points directly from your headset, by offering a leather facial interface that attaches via velcro to the AMVR, which is a separate purchase, at least for Quest 3 users. Fortunately, this is also the cheapest accessory at $149.
Much like the other two products, the feedback sensors work fairly reliably. However, unlike the other two, the TactVisor is triggered a lot less often, and you don’t really feel it as often as the TactSuit or the Tactosy. The feedback from the motors also feels noticeably weaker, even at the same intensity levels, and you’ll need to be punched or shot in the fact to really experience it.
I’m also not a huge fan of leather interfaces. I much prefer a fabric one, thanks to having eczema, and the lack of a fabric option from bHaptics is very disappointing. While it does the job well, and the included velcro patches to help stick the battery to your headset is useful, it doesn’t provide the same high quality as I experience from the other bHaptics lineup.
However, the setup combined is a great experience overall. They all work in a unique and twisted tandem, and I feel almost masochistic due to how much I enjoy being hurt in VR games now. Obviously, haptic feedback points aren’t a substitute for feeling actual pain, but I’m not sure who would want that anyway. While it’s very expensive overall, all of the bHaptics products offer a lot of fun to your VR sessions.
The products don’t last as long as you would hope, however. All of them have USB-C ports to charge the devices, and while I would’ve preferred a unified charging option or combined dock to make things easier, I appreciate that it's a bit difficult to produce. Both the TactSuit X40 and the Tactosy for Arms had around 10–12 hours from my playtime, while the TactVisor saw about 6-8 hours of use before needing to be charged again.
However, that does mean that if you use your VR headset regularly with the entire setup, you’ll be charging them all fairly frequently, each requiring its own USB-C wire and potentially an adapter (unless you charge it with your desktop). Unfortunately, that’s quite a hard sell considering the cost of living and energy crisis right now, but it’s hardly bHaptics’ fault for that.
Of course, everyone who knows me knows that my favorite VR game is Blade and Sorcery, and any of the best games like Blade and Sorcery too. Personally, I found this game to be brilliant with bHaptics, even if it doesn’t support the TactVisor natively. Getting stabbed has a sharp and intense haptic feedback in the TactSuit, while casting spells or pulling objects to yourself vibrates the respective Tactosy for Arms. In fact, it’s quite clever how each Tactosy for Arms relates to each of your in-game arms.
I also played a decent chunk of Underdogs VR thanks to the mod support. The mod supports all three of the bHaptics products I’m reviewing, and considering you’re inside a mech suit while playing the game, it feels fitting that you receive some strong feedback when you get hit, but that it doesn’t hurt you in real life, adding an additional layer of immersion.
Finally, getting shot has a lot more impact than you may expect. Playing Breachers and being suddenly shot and killed in-game, with each of the feedback motors attempting to create the bullet’s impact, shocks you. The surprise adds to the thrill of using the bHaptics products, with the intensity of competitive FPS games being even more exciting with the different accessories.
Overall, if you’re heavily into VR gaming, the bHaptics line up of products are certainly worth the high investment if you’re wanting a more immersive experience. The hundreds of compatible games, as well as support for mods, makes it a great purchase whether you like sword fighting games, or shooters, or even Beat Saber. However, the TactVisor is not as great as the other accessories, and the mediocre battery life means you’ll be charging them often.
Individual Scores:
- TactSuit X40 - 9/10
- Tactosy for Arms - 8/10
- TactVisor - 6/10
