Although virtual reality is designed to be immersive, something is still lacking. More specifically users see their characters move around in VR without being in control of the motion itself. More specifically, there seems to be a need for VR motion rigs, although it is incredibly difficult to find one that checks all of the right boxes.
VR Motion Rigs Need a Lot of Work
It is evident a lot of VR users would like to have more control over character movements. Not just in the form of head- and eye-tracking, though. Instead, a full VR motion rig could prove to be quite an interesting development hat will introduce more people to the virtual reality ecosystem. Some companies are working on such products, albeit they have little success to show for it.
The reasons for this lack of success are not hard to find, mind you. A VR motion rig is quite expensive, as some of them cost over $6,000. Such a massive investment on top of buying a virtual reality headset and a computer to power everything is not something consumers are looking forward to. Then again, building a proper motion rig is not cheap by any means, although prices will continue to drop over the coming years.
Even lower-end VR motions rigs are quite expensive and will set you back at least $1,000. Do keep in mind you get what you pay for, and no one should expect a miracle from these cheaper alternatives. On the other hand, the most expensive motion rig costs around $50,000 right now, which is well out of reach for most people around the world. You could always go the DYI route, although that is not something most people want to tinker with either.
The VR motion rig market is in dire need of more competition, that much is evident. Right now, there is a huge gap between entry-level and top-of-the-line motion rigs. Until something changes, consumers will not show more interest in VR by any means. It is hard to be fully immersed and not being able to move your legs around like you normally would. It is an interesting market to keep an eye on, albeit one that severely lacks competitors.
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