Even though VR hardware is evolving, there’s still room for improvements. Especially when it comes to immersion, new products will need to be created. A lot of players would like to walk around in VR like they do in real life, yet it will require some external gadgets to achieve this goal. KAT VR will bring the KAT Walk Mini to the market, but not through Kickstarter as initially planned.
The KAT Walk Mini is Quite Appealing
Being able to walk around in VR through actual “walking locomotion” is something for players to look forward to. It will take dedicated hardware to mimic this experience in a believable manner, though. KAT VR, a Chinese startup, wants to achieve this goal by introducing the KAT Walk Mini. Unlike what people previously expected, this project will not be crowdfunded through Kickstarter.
That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, though. Instead, the company has seemingly secured funding through various business partners. As such, the company can now open pre-orders for the KAT Walk Mini to customers around the world. This omnidirectional treadmill designed for use in VR is certainly quite appealing, assuming it works as advertised.
Given the “sudden” interest by business partners, it seems KAT VR is on the right track to building a working product. Although the KAT Walk Mini will need to be researched and developed further, but not having to rely on crowdfunding through Kickstarter is a positive development overall. After all, having proper backing ensures this product can come to market regardless of how many people pre-order the unit.
It is not the first time the Chinese firm works on such a product either. The company has a proven track record in the form of the KAT Walk, which was a successful crowdfunding campaign a while ago. The Mini will replace old wireless sensors with a laser sensor array built into the base plate to improve overall response time. Only time will tell if that business model is a successful one.
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