Meta Platforms Inc. built its industry-leading virtual reality headset by infringing Immersion Corp.’s patents, the smaller company alleged in a lawsuit.
The Meta Quest 2, which dominates the market, infringes six patents covering haptic technology, Immersion said in a complaint filed Thursday in federal court in Waco, Texas. In video game systems and controllers, haptics allow users to experience vibrations that mimic real-life forces — such as blocking a punch in a virtual boxing game.
Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has committed to spending $10 billion a year to bring to life his vision of a virtual reality-enabled metaverse. Sales of Meta Quest 2 hit 8.7 million units in 2021, twice as much as in the prior year, and the company owns 80% of the market.
Immersion is seeking a court order blocking Meta’s use of the infringing technology and unspecified damages.
Meta representatives didn’t immediately respond outside regular business hours to a request for comment.
Immersion, which specializes in haptics patents, is known for taking on some of the world’s largest companies in licensing disputes.
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