Valve, the company that not only gave us one of the biggest game distribution platforms, but also a top of the line handheld gaming console, is now facing its latest obstacle. The obstacle comes in the form of a lawsuit by Immersion Corporation, which is known for everything related to rumble tech (haptic feedback in modern controllers).
According to a report by Verge, Immersion has just sued Valve over violating its patents while developing the rumble tech for the Steam Deck and the Valve Index, which is VR platform. However, the Steam controller has not been placed in front of the firing squad even though that controller has its own haptic feedback.
Immersion is looking for a settlement from Valve for “deploying, operating, maintaining, testing, and using the Accused Handheld Instrumentalities and Accused VR Instrumentalities”.
For those unaware, Valve is not the first company to be sued by Immersion and definitely will not be the last. Tech giants like Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo use Immersion licenses for their tech, Furthermore, Apple, Fitbit, Motorola and Google have also dealt with their own Immersion lawsuits and settled, while Meta is currently fighting its case. Therefore, it is very probable that Valve will also opt for a settlement.
