ThermalReal CES 2020 Preview

March 2, 2020 at 2:59am
By Jason Stettner

ThermalReal was showcased at CES 2020 during the Unveiled event and I was first up to give it a whirl. Literally, walked around and was the first in line to check it out. These are really interesting additions for a virtual reality experience as they aim to provide more natural feedback when interacting with in-game elements.

It’s quite neat as you can have the sensations of heat, or the cold. You really do feel it, and that’s quite interesting. It’s showcased with a demo where you’re throwing snowballs or fireballs. I was equipped with gloves and sleeves. You can feel the effect of getting hit, or when you chuck the balls of snow back at your foe.

You can choose between heat, or the chilly effect. The heat area actually does get warm and it’s a unique sensation. That being said, I did feel the heat for some time after finishing with the demo so that was odd. The chill was cold, I felt frozen and as if I was back home in my usual climate.

It’s some neat technology, and I could see how this might be a neat enhancement to regular experiences. It adds the ability to feel, and this might be something more engaging for gamers as time progresses. You can check out what else we visited at the show through the general hub for this year below, but also be sure to check out our preview of the LG Smart Door concept.

Read our LG Smart Door Preview
View our CES 2020 Hub