A Transparent Look at What’s Going On — And Why Shipping Is Moving To January 2026
First off, thank you to everyone who has been following the development of the X-Force Haptics Kit and supporting us with patience, feedback, and excitement. We know many of you were hoping to have this in your hands for the holidays, and we’re genuinely sorry to share that shipping will now move to January 2026 (latest).
The kits are already in production, but several important factors require us to hold the release a bit longer. Our goal has always been simple: when you receive this kit, it should feel flawless — both inside the game and outside the game. No workarounds, no firmware headaches, no frustrations.
Below is an honest breakdown of why the ship date has to move.
1. Firmware Changes & Deeper Software Integration
As we entered final firmware stages, we realized certain features needed more time to polish. Making haptics feel natural in multiple VR pinball titles requires adjustments on both our side and the game side.
In November, Zen Studios sent over new feedback regarding plunger behavior and input timing. The changes required a firmware update plus internal re-testing. We pushed our internal production deadline from 11/20 to 11/30 to finalize this — and that alone forced the overall timeline to shift.
Because of this, we decided it’s better to ship units with firmware already perfect, instead of asking customers to update on day one. (Though we still include the firmware cable, just in case.)
2. Dongle Redesign After Discovering 3rd-Party Headstrap Issues
Once we started large-scale testing, we discovered something unexpected:
The original dongle didn’t work with the BOBOVR M3 headstrap.
We knew BOBOVR products were popular, but we had no idea just how many of our users relied on them. At first we couldn’t identify the cause — the power handshake looked normal, but charging wouldn’t initialize.
After reaching out to the BOBOVR team directly, we learned that the M3 uses a legacy quick-charge protocol our original chip simply didn’t support. So the dongle wasn’t “broken” — it was incompatible at the chip level.
We immediately went back to the drawing board.
What happened next:
• Redesigned the dongle from scratch
• Replaced the internal chip architecture
• Reworked the power and logic layout
• Spent two months on trial-and-error testing
• Rebuilt the outer shell using a new injection-molded casing
All of this added time, but the result is a far better dongle that works smoothly with 3rd-party straps and is significantly more stable than our original design.
The new dongle now includes:
- Three modes:
- Keyboard Mode (Pinball FX VR)
- XInput Mode (2-player games)
- XInput Solo Mode (Pinball FX Classic VR & Star Wars Pinball VR)
- Color-coded indicator blink patterns for each mode
- Mode-switch button
- Improved charging compatibility
- Stronger wireless stability
- Full firmware upgradability — so the dongle can continue to evolve with new games, features, and improvements long after launch
This last one represents a huge step forward: when new pinball titles release or new features come out, you’ll be able to keep your dongle fully updated without needing any new hardware. It’s designed to be sustainable and future-proof.
Huge thanks to Jared and Chris from the BlahCade Podcast for helping us test all of this and providing excellent feedback throughout the redesign.
3. Adding the Palm Rest Kit (Injection Molded)
Back in late October we received questions about the Palm Rest Kit availability. That feedback made us realize something important:
If most people are buying the Haptics Kit specifically for VR pinball, the palm rest really should be part of the experience.
So we decided to bundle the palm rest kit directly into the Haptics Kit.
But that required:
• Creating new injection-mold tooling
• Refining surface smoothness
• Running sample iterations
• Fit and comfort adjustments
Injection molding adds significant lead time, but it ensures the final part is durable, smooth, and consistent.
4. Final Testing: Fixing a Solenoid Overheating Issue
We sent out 10 test units recently, and the feedback helped us catch one more important detail:
Under long play sessions, the flipper solenoid was overheating.
We corrected this in the final production design.
The flipper solenoid in the shipping units will now:
• Produce a clean, satisfying “hit” when activated
• Stay silent on release (no double hit)
• Run cooler and reliably during extended sessions
This was absolutely worth fixing before release.
We Know This Affects Holiday Expectations
We truly understand how many of you were hoping to have this under the tree, and we’re really sorry we can’t make that happen.
We don’t take your trust for granted — ever.
But shipping a half-finished experience is simply not something we’re willing to do. The X-Force Haptics Kit is designed to elevate the experience of VR pinball and retro gameplay, and we want it to feel special the moment you plug it in.
Looking Ahead
Everything is now moving in the right direction. Hardware is in production, firmware is stabilizing, the new dongle is fully redesigned, and the palm rest mold is underway. With all factors considered, the updated latest ship window is January 2026.
This delay doesn’t stop you from enjoying the season with your family — you can still order the kit with the base units right now and fully enjoy the immersive pinball experience with the fully integrated Pinball FX VR support. The haptics module will simply arrive a little later, and once it does, you’ll plug it in and get the complete experience.
We’ll continue sharing updates as we lock down the remaining milestones.
Thank you again — sincerely — for your patience, support, and passion. This project exists because of people like you, and we’re pushing every day to make sure the final kit is worth the wait.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out — we’re always here to help.
