More than half of connected devices will be haptic enabled by 2028, revealing exciting opportunity for immersive video

Rhea-AI Summary

InterDigital's new white paper, commissioned from Futuresource, highlights the growing importance of haptics in connected experiences. Key findings include:

- By 2028, 53% of consumer devices will be haptic-enabled
- 4.1 billion haptic-enabled consumer devices expected by end of 2024
- XR device shipments forecasted to triple by 2028, reaching 60 million units
- Gaming accounts for 75% of total XR unit shipments
- Standards organizations like MPEG, IEEE, and Khronos Group are working on haptic content coding

The report emphasizes haptics as a first-order media type alongside audio and video, potentially redefining immersive experiences across various devices and platforms.

Positive

• Projected growth: 53% of consumer devices expected to be haptic-enabled by 2028
• Large addressable market: 4.1 billion haptic-enabled consumer devices forecasted by end of 2024
• XR market expansion: Worldwide shipments of XR devices expected to triple by 2028, reaching 60 million units
• Strong gaming focus: 75% of total XR unit shipments attributed to gaming
• Progress in standardization: Leading organizations working on haptic content coding standards

Negative

• None.

Insights

Tech Expert

The rise of haptic technology marks a significant shift in how we interact with digital devices. By 2028, over 50% of connected devices are projected to be haptic-enabled, indicating a major market transformation. This trend presents substantial opportunities for companies in the consumer electronics, gaming and XR sectors.

Key growth areas include:

• Smartphones and personal electronics
• Gaming consoles and VR headsets
• Wearables like smartwatches and haptic gloves

The development of haptic standards by organizations like MPEG, IEEE and Khronos Group is important for industry-wide adoption and interoperability. This standardization could accelerate innovation and market growth, potentially benefiting companies like InterDigital (IDCC) that are involved in mobile and video technology R&D.

Market Research Analyst

The projected growth in haptic-enabled devices presents a significant market opportunity. With 4.1 billion haptic-enabled consumer devices expected by the end of 2024 and 53% of consumer devices being haptic-enabled by 2028, we're looking at a rapidly expanding addressable market.

The threefold increase in XR device shipments by 2028, reaching over 60 million units, further underscores the potential in this sector. Investors should watch for companies positioned to capitalize on this growth, particularly those involved in:

• Haptic hardware development
• XR technology, especially in gaming (accounting for 75% of XR shipments)
• Advanced actuators and tactile sensors

This trend could drive significant revenue growth for well-positioned companies in the coming years.

New research from Futuresource and InterDigital details how the latest generation of haptic technology is redefining immersive experiences and evolving digital devices

WILMINGTON, Del., Aug. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Haptics, or the sense of touch, is increasingly being incorporated into the connected experience to enhance communications, services, and entertainment, and was spotlighted in a new white paper commissioned by mobile, video and AI technology research and development company InterDigital, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDCC) and written by market research firm Futuresource. The report reveals how, for the first time, haptics is being considered as a first order media type, alongside audio and video, opening the doors of perception to help consumers not only hear and see their content – but feel it too.

The white paper, Haptics: The Next Modality in Immersive Entertainment, examines the current inflection point in the haptic technology development lifecycle that now has haptics being regarded as an essential element in modern entertainment systems. This shift is attributed to digital devices becoming ever more ubiquitous, and with it, haptic technology has become more accessible to the wider public. From a commercial standpoint, many within the diverse ecosystem of innovators, device makers and content creators have high hopes for haptics: advancements in standards and innovations such as advanced actuators, improved tactile sensors, and more realistic feedback mechanisms are propelling market growth.

The report uncovers:

• The addressable market for haptics is growing rapidly: across audio/visual, personal electronics, and wearables, forecasts reveal there will be 4.1 billion haptic-enabled consumer devices in use by the end of 2024
• Looking ahead, 53% of consumer devices will be haptic enabled by 2028
• Personal electronics drive opportunity. While the smartphone is the natural starting point for haptic use cases, it is expected that greater device variety will characterize the market in the future in areas like gaming consoles, tablets, headphones, smartwatches, and virtual reality (VR) headsets
• Extended Reality (XR) is a key market for haptics as the sense of touch heightens the experience of the user. By 2028, worldwide shipments of XR devices are forecasted to increase threefold from today, topping 60 million units
• Haptics hardware is improving at a fast pace, with haptic gloves being a noteworthy point of focus. The main use case for this hardware is gaming, which accounts for 75% of the total XR unit shipments
  

Historically, the absence of standards has stymied progress towards interoperability between platforms and vendors across the haptics ecosystem. This has meant protracted development cycles, proprietary methods, incompatible solutions and low adoption – all factors which the industry seeks to avoid during nascent stages in deployment of new technology. Fortunately, several leading standards organisations, including MPEG, IEEE and Khronos Group, are engaging with industry and collaborating to determine the mechanisms and modalities for coding haptic content and experiences. In fact, the collaborative work within standards is proving to be instrumental in enabling seamless integration across devices and platforms globally.

“This white paper comes at moment when haptic technology is greatly benefitting from advancements in electronics, material science, and consumer demand for immersive experiences,” said Lionel Oisel, VP and Head of Wireless Labs at InterDigital. “We see haptics as the next seismic shift in the way societies interact with technology, providing the opportunity for deeper levels of engagement with content and services through immersive visuals and sensory experiences. Looking ahead, the commercial viability of new services will rely on the standards that are now starting to be defined, and we hope to continue playing a key role in giving shape to this nascent and exciting industry.”

To read the white paper Haptics: The Next Modality in Immersive Entertainment, please click here.

About InterDigital ^®
InterDigital is a global research and development company focused primarily on wireless, video, artificial intelligence (“AI”), and related technologies. We design and develop foundational technologies that enable connected, immersive experiences in a broad range of communications and entertainment products and services. We license our innovations worldwide to companies providing such products and services, including makers of wireless communications devices, consumer electronics, IoT devices, cars and other motor vehicles, and providers of cloud-based services such as video streaming. As a leader in wireless technology, our engineers have designed and developed a wide range of innovations that are used in wireless products and networks, from the earliest digital cellular systems to 5G and today’s most advanced Wi-Fi technologies. We are also a leader in video processing and video encoding/decoding technology, with a significant AI research effort that intersects with both wireless and video technologies. Founded in 1972, InterDigital is listed on Nasdaq.

For more information, visit: www.interdigital.com.

InterDigital Contact:
Roya Stephens
Email: roya.stephens@interdigital.com
+1 (202) 349-1714

FAQ

What percentage of consumer devices will be haptic-enabled by 2028 according to InterDigital's white paper?

According to the white paper, 53% of consumer devices are expected to be haptic-enabled by 2028.

How many haptic-enabled consumer devices are forecasted to be in use by the end of 2024?

The report predicts that there will be 4.1 billion haptic-enabled consumer devices in use by the end of 2024.

What is the projected growth for XR device shipments by 2028 mentioned in InterDigital's (IDCC) report?

The report forecasts that worldwide shipments of XR devices will increase threefold from today, topping 60 million units by 2028.

What percentage of total XR unit shipments is attributed to gaming in InterDigital's (IDCC) white paper?

According to the white paper, gaming accounts for 75% of the total XR unit shipments.

Which organizations are working on standards for haptic content coding as mentioned in InterDigital's (IDCC) report?

The report mentions that MPEG, IEEE, and Khronos Group are engaging with industry and collaborating to determine mechanisms and modalities for coding haptic content and experiences.