Why it matters: If you are in the market for a new gaming chair and would like one that rumbles, Arcadeo Gaming has one for you. Its chair provides haptic feedback on the seat and back and can connect to virtually any device including your TV. It should be out before the end of the year.
Accessory startup Arcadeo Gaming unveiled a smart chair at CES 2020 that aims to make both games and movies more immersive. The chair connects to PCs, consoles, televisions, and even VR headsets via USB-C. It has 10 haptic zones to translate on-screen events like shooting and explosions into vibrations.
The haptic actuators embedded in the back and seat are driven by a 16-core processor that intelligently reads audio using Arcadeo's "SmartSense" system rather than data produced by the source. What this means is that it will work with any game, movie, or television show without developers needing to add extra coding to make it compatible.
Arcadeo also has an app that will allow users to customize vibrations to their preferences. Each transducer (four on the back, six on the seat) has adjustable strength and frequency settings for ultimate control of which zones are affected by noises and by how much. If you prefer just the back rumbling, turn off the seat haptics. Want to feel only the explosions and not every gunshot? You can do that too by adjusting the sensitivity. The app also allows control of the LED lighting system lining the back and seat of the chair.
The Arcadeo Gaming Chair is by no means the first to offer haptics. Last fall, Acer announced its "budget-friendly" Predator Thronos Air, which had much more than haptics. However, by budget-friendly, it meant $14,000 instead of the $20,000 for its standard Thronos chair.
Arcadeo is looking to release its throne later this year for around $800, which is a bit more reasonable for a multipurpose gaming seat, but still a bit expensive. The company has not started taking orders yet, but you can check out the full list of specs on its dedicated website.