Device Spotlight: Woojer – Feel The Sound
As a PC gamer who pretty much gets all my gaming done through a mouse & keyboard, or on my tablet, I have forgotten what it’s like to feel the rumble of an outgoing artillery round, or the impact of a crash in a racing game. Short of hooking up a console controller to my PC, I receive absolutely no physical feedback.
A new device called Woojer, is set to solve that problem for PC and mobile gamers.
Woojer is a small, compact device that gamers hook up through the standard headphone socket that every mobile device sports. PC users simply plug it into their PC’s audio output socket, just as they would with a headset. Woojer bridges the connection between headsets and the device/PC, allowing users to sport their preferred headet while enjoying the effects of the device. The Woojer itself can be placed anywhere on the player’s body, and is silent while in use.
By providing the user the right physical feedback, the Woojer device can completely immerse the user in the moment taking place within the game. The device itself was thought up by a rock concert engineer who was frustrated that he and other music enthusiasts could not have the same physical sensations at home, as they could at live shows thanks to the massive speaker systems that pump out the bone-shaking frequencies.
During Woojer’s testing phases, the designer discovered that the device could benefit the hearing impaired, as it allows hearing impaired users to literally feel the sounds. It was also discovered that many gamers were playing games at dangerous audio levels, in an effort to compensate for their headphone’s lack of ability of producing that desirable deep rumble, iconic of subwoofers. With the Woojer, those gamers found they could play at much lower audio levels, as the Woojer provided them the feedback they wanted.
Currently, the designers of the Woojer have taken the device to Kickstarter, in an effort to generate $100,000 to get the device out on the market.
The Woojer has the potential to revolutionize the game industry’s peripheral scene. If it catches on with PC and mobile gamers, there is a high chance it could be seen brought to consoles as well. A few years down the road we could all be playing Titanfall with five of these devices strapped to our bodies. Taking enemy fire while in the mech suits would set the devices off, allowing players to feel the impact of being hit, while feeling the rumble of their own weaponry going off. The future of the Woojer is certainly full of possibilities.
