BHaptics Tactal

bHaptics Tactal
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	Haptic Accessory
Subtype	Haptic Facial Interface
Platform	SteamVR, Oculus, PC VR, Standalone VR
Creator	bHaptics
Developer	bHaptics
Manufacturer	bHaptics
Announcement Date	2017
Release Date	2017 (bHaptics); widely retailed from 2019
Price	US$169-170 (approx.)
Website	https://www.bhaptics.com
Versions	Standard, Large
Requires	bHaptics Player software; compatible VR headset (face interface required for some headsets)
Predecessor	bHaptics Tactal DK2 (developer kit)
Successor	bHaptics TactVisor
System
Operating System	N/A
Chipset	N/A
CPU	N/A
GPU	N/A
Storage
Storage	N/A
Memory	N/A
SD Card Slot	No
Display
Display	N/A
Resolution	N/A
Refresh Rate	N/A
Image
Field of View	N/A
Horizontal FoV	N/A
Vertical FoV	N/A
Optics
Optics	N/A
Ocularity	N/A
IPD Range	N/A
Adjustable Diopter	N/A
Passthrough	N/A
Tracking
Tracking	N/A
Base Stations	N/A
Eye Tracking	N/A
Face Tracking	N/A
Hand Tracking	N/A
Body Tracking	N/A
Rotational Tracking	N/A
Positional Tracking	N/A
Audio
Audio	N/A
Microphone	N/A
Camera	N/A
Connectivity
Connectivity	Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE)
Ports	USB Type-C (charging)
WiFi	N/A
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE)
Power	Rechargeable Li-ion battery (3.7 V, 400 mAh, 1.5 Wh)
Battery Capacity	400 mAh
Battery Life	Up to 8.5 hours
Charge Time	Approx. 0.5 hours (5 V / 2 A)
Device
Dimensions	Two sizes (Standard, Large)
Material	Plastic frame with face foam cushion
Headstrap	N/A
Haptics	6 vibrotactile feedback points (6 ERM motors)
Color	Black
Sensors	N/A
Input	N/A (output device)
Compliance	bHaptics Player compatible

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The bHaptics Tactal is a haptic facial interface for virtual reality head-mounted displays, developed and manufactured by the South Korean company bHaptics. First released by bHaptics in 2017 and widely listed by VR retailers from 2019, the Tactal replaces the standard foam face cushion of a VR headset with a cushion that contains six vibrotactile feedback points arranged around the forehead, allowing players to feel localized sensations on the face that are synchronized with in-game events. The device is part of the broader bHaptics haptic product family, which also includes the TactSuit vests and Tactosy arm, hand, and foot accessories, all driven through the company's bHaptics Player software.

Rather than tracking the user or providing input, the Tactal is purely a haptic output peripheral. It mounts in place of the existing face pad and connects wirelessly over Bluetooth to a PC or standalone headset running the bHaptics Player, which translates haptic event data from supported games and experiences into vibration patterns on the face.

History and Development

bHaptics was founded in 2015 in Daejeon, South Korea, and built its reputation on wearable haptic feedback hardware for virtual reality. The company developed a family of body-worn devices marketed under the Tact branding: the Tactot torso vest, the Tactosy modules for arms, hands, and feet, and the Tactal for the face. The Tactal was offered to early adopters as a developer kit before its consumer launch; a "Tactal DK2" quick start guide documents this earlier developer-kit revision that preceded the retail product.

According to the bHaptics product timeline the Tactal launched in 2017, and by 2019 it was being sold both directly by bHaptics and through VR specialty retailers and department stores including Selfridges, where it carried a price of around US$170. It was later succeeded by the bHaptics TactVisor, a redesigned face haptic accessory that the company positioned as offering improved wireless connectivity and a water-resistant PU-leather foam, while carrying fewer feedback points than the original Tactal.

Design and Hardware

The Tactal takes the form of a replacement face cushion that fits between the user's face and the lenses of a VR headset, occupying the same position as the headset's stock foam interface. Embedded around the forehead area are six haptic feedback points, each driven by an eccentric rotating mass (ERM) vibration motor, that deliver gentle localized nudges when triggered by in-game events.

Power comes from an internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated at 3.7 V, 400 mAh, and 1.5 Wh, providing up to 8.5 hours of playtime on a charge. The battery recharges in roughly half an hour using a 5 V / 2 A supply over a USB Type-C connector. Wireless communication with the host device uses Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth Low Energy).

The Tactal was produced in two sizes to fit a range of headsets. The table below summarizes the headset compatibility reported by retailers.

Size	Compatible headsets	Notes
Standard	Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Quest 1, Oculus Quest 2, Oculus Rift CV1, Samsung Odyssey+	A VR Cover face interface is required for Valve Index, Oculus Quest 1, Quest 2, and Rift
Large	HTC Vive Pro, HTC Vive Focus, HTC Vive Focus Plus, Pimax VR series	Sized for larger headset face plates

Source: Unbound XR product listing.

Software and Ecosystem

The Tactal does not function on its own. It relies on the bHaptics Player application, available for Windows PC and for standalone Android-based headsets, which receives haptic event data from supported titles and maps it onto the device's motors. The same software stack drives the rest of the bHaptics hardware line, so the Tactal can be used alongside a TactSuit vest and Tactosy modules as part of a coordinated full-body haptic setup.

bHaptics maintains a catalog of natively supported VR experiences for its devices, and provides a software development kit (SDK) so that developers can author haptic patterns for their own games. Because the haptic content is shared across the bHaptics ecosystem, the library of supported games grew over time to cover a large number of SteamVR and Quest titles, with facial feedback delivered through the Tactal where the experience and headset support it.

Reception

Coverage of bHaptics' face haptic accessories has been mixed. The category is treated as a novelty add-on rather than essential VR hardware, and reviewers of the broader bHaptics line have praised the immersion that synchronized body haptics can add while noting comfort trade-offs from wearing additional gear. In a hands-on with the successor bHaptics TactVisor, UploadVR found facial vibration to be an interesting sensation but ultimately gimmicky and uncomfortable against the face for long sessions, comparing it unfavorably to the built-in headset feedback of PlayStation VR2.

See Also

• bHaptics
• bHaptics TactSuit X40
• bHaptics TactVisor
• Haptics
• Virtual Reality