Similarly, 4D theaters employ vibrating or moving seats to attempt to enhance key moments in films, often cuing based on the impact of sound.

The problem with both of these examples is of course localization. There’s a discrepancy between the direction of the source and the physical vibration, which in my opinion severely limits their effectiveness.

I always think back to Jurassic Park’s water glass vibration shot that introduces the T Rex when I think about the physical power of sound. A big part of conveying this idea is allowing time in the film for the sound develop. If the water glass shot had appeared in the middle of the chaotic scene or even as a brief coda to it, it wouldn’t have had the same impact because the audience wouldn’t have paid attention to it in the same way.