Immersion holds over 150 patents for its haptic (meaning “touch”) technology, which are licensed for use in computing, entertainment, medical simulation and motor car manufacture. The company claims that Sony and Microsoft infringe two of its patents and that its out-of-court negotiations with the companies have failed.
The company says it already has licensees in the gaming console market which have developed more than 40 touch-enabled gaming peripherals currently shipping for the Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation platforms.