We like the 3rd Space FPS Vest. In fact, it’s one of the most creative ideas in gaming we’ve heard of in a while. Unfortunately, it works with such a small number of titles that it’s barely usable.
What exactly is it? The 3rd Space FPS Vest is a wearable peripheral designed for first-person shooters, designed to mimic the feel of actually being hit during the thick of battle. It interfaces with the game via USB, while the air is pumped inside by an attached compressor, connected to the vest with an air hose. The compressor is small, so it doesn’t take any undue space.
The 3rd Space vest packs eight “active zones,” each of which fires compressed air whenever you get shot. Six of the spots are in front while the other two are in the back. It’s not exactly the most realistic simulation available, but it works well enough.
Used with the games it’s compatible with, the accessory works really good. Shot in the chest? Bang, you’ll feel it hard. Standing in the middle of a grenade explosion? You’ll rattle a bit as all eight zones let you feel the hurt.
The real problem with the vest is the narrow range of compatible games. At present, it only works with the PC, which immediately rules out a good slice of the FPS-gaming piece. It gets worse. Even on the PC, it only works with COD II (yes, great game, but freaking old), Quake 3 and 4 (requires patch), Doom 3 (requires patch) and 3rd Space: Incursion (the company’s own game). That’s a very thin list to pick from and makes the peripheral less useful than it really should be.
As of now, the 3rd Space FPS Vest is a great idea with very poor implementation. This thing could have been a serious bestseller if they only kept it in the lab while working to support more games. As it is now, it’s largely a cool peripheral that won’t likely get used more than a couple of times.
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