A haptic switch can be used to control one or more display screens. In an example embodiment, the haptic switch takes the form of a flooring sample—such as a sample piece or swatch of a flooring material, for example, ceramic tile, wood, or carpet—that is affixed or otherwise mechanically coupled to an electronic sensor, such as a proximity sensor, a touch sensor, or a pressure sensor. The haptic switch is communicatively coupled to a machine, and the machine stores or is otherwise able to access a database that correlates the haptic switch or its included flooring sample to corresponding texture map data that depicts the flooring sample. The haptic switch is thus usable to select its corresponding texture map data and cause the machine to use the selected texture map data in generating video content and displaying the generated video content on one or more display screens.