During the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 VRFocus came across technology startup Cybershoes, which was at the show to demonstrate its virtual reality (VR) locomotion device of the same name. Cybershoes went on to launch a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign later that year, sailing past its €30,000 EUR goal in a couple of hours, eventually achieving 333 percent of its target. Today, the company has announced plans to launch an Indiegogo later this week.
Cybershoes aim to tackle one of the biggest problems in VR, and that’s smooth movement without a player becoming nauseous. While some VR users don’t suffer at all running around virtual worlds using normal thumbstick or trackpad controls, many do, and it can be that off-putting that they never want to try VR again. So the company’s theory is that if people can move their legs like they were normally walking, it would fool their brain and not make them feel unwell.
Used in a purely seated position, the Cybershoes are essentially a shoe with a smooth sole and a roller with which to activate movement by moving your feet along the ground. Users will also need a spinning chair or stool to turn around in, which is why the original Cybershoes Kickstarter did feature several backing tier with a chair.
For the Indiegogo campaign, Cybershoes is looking to go one better, with four early bird funding tiers that’ll offer backers the shoes, chair and carpet at massively reduced prices. The cheapest way to get hold of the Cybershoes is via the first deal, offering the full kit for $269 USD, instead of $549, a rather substantial 51 percent saving. There’s also a heavy duty version (image below) designed for arcades, for $669, which features a HAG Capisco Chair with a heavy metal base and the Cybercarpet Pro.
When it comes to delivery, Cybershoes plans on shipping the Indiegogo bundles from July 2019 onwards. For reference, Kickstarter backers should start receiving their shoes from May onwards.
When the Indiegogo campaign starts VRFocus will keep you up to date on its progress, seeing whether it’ll do as well as last year’s Kickstarter in hitting its goal.