Cybershoes Begin Shipping To Kickstarter, IndieGogo Backers

The Quest-compatible models of the Cybershoes have begun shipping out to those who supported the project on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

The Cybershoes have been around for a while, first for PC VR and more recently updated for Quest and Quest 2. The shoes attach to your feet and allow you to move around in VR by moving on the spot. This allows for seated play while controlling artificial locomotion in-game with movement in your legs.

Cybershoes had a very successful Kickstarter campaign for the updated Quest model, more than tripling the original goal. Additional pre-orders were then made available by a separate Indiegogo campaign back in February. Now, units from both Kickstarter and Indiegogo have begun to ship out to over 600 collective backers.

Back in December 2020, we went hands-on with the new Quest-compatible Cybershoes. We found that while they work as intended, it’s hard to find a compelling reason why you would use them. Here’s an excerpt:

Yes, Cybershoes works as intended and removing the wire from PC VR makes it far more user-friendly and compelling, but, just like the 3DRudder, I fail to see a compelling reason to use this instead of just moving around a room. Even if you don’t have enough space for roomscale and would just be standing in one spot and leaning around I’d still rather do that than be restricted to sitting in a chair while in VR — especially when using a standalone, wireless, roomscale headset like the Oculus Quest or Quest 2.

You can read more of our impressions here.

The Cybershoes Indiegogo campaign runs until May 10, so you have until then to secure a pair at the lower pre-order price. After the Indiegogo campaign finishes, the Cybershoes will be available online at Cybershoes.com and later on Amazon for customers in the US.

Doom 3: VR Edition vs Doom3Quest – Graphics And Feature Comparison

Today’s launch of Doom 3: VR Edition on PSVR isn’t actually the only way to experience id Software’s seminal horror shooter in VR. Ever since John Carmack showcased a version of the game running in a prototype Oculus Rift at E3 2012, the title has been something of a pet project for modders. There’s some mods available for PC but, last year prominent Oculus Quest modder team, Team Beef, brought it to the standalone headset.

So, which is better?

Well the answer varies as you look across the various aspects of Doom 3, but you’ll find the Doom3Quest mod fighting back quite often. We’ve put together a video highlighting the differences that you can see below.

PSVR’s main benefit is the ability to play with the ever-excellent Aim Controller. As I said in this week’s review, the integration isn’t brilliant across every weapon, but the iconic shotgun works like a dream, as do several others. Developer Archiact has also gone a great job natively integration Doom’s UI organically into the game where it now rests. It’s also just a more solid experience than that on Quest, where I encountered some bugs when I died or tried to get height settings right.

Overall I think the team did a serviceable job of porting that game to PSVR, even if I don’t think Doom 3 itself suits VR well. But, while the Quest version has some shortcomings, it also has areas where it beats out the new, official release.

Graphically the PSVR version is actually a little blurrier than what I saw on Quest 2 (I haven’t tried it on Quest 1), but the design differences go deeper than that. Yes, PSVR’s built-in UI is better than the existing floating elements on Quest, but Team Beef’s port turns the oft-used PDA into an actual in-game item you can read and navigate in 3D space, not just access on a 2D menu. You also get the choice of targeting system on each weapon whereas VR Edition has different, fixed solutions for each type of weapon.

Of course it’s a little more hassle to get the Quest mod up and running and you do miss out on the excellent Aim controller but, when you factor in the other obvious benefits like the full 360 degrees of wireless tracking on standalone VR, Doom3Quest actually ends out coming out on top.

Team Beef Showcases 8 Min of Oculus Quest Port WRATH: Aeon of Ruin

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin

Best known for the Doom3Quest mod, Team Beef (made up of Dr. Beef, BaggyG and Bummser) is well acquainted with porting first-person shooters (FPS) to the Oculus Quest platform. Today, the team has released footage of a new side project, porting WRATH: Aeon of Ruin onto the standalone headset.

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is an FPS created by KillPixel, 3D Realms and 1C Entertainment for PC, released on Steam as an Early Access videogame in 2019. Veterans who’ve helped create titles like Duke Nukem 3D and Prey, WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is a hellish, hardcore shooter built using Quake 1 technology.

The unofficial Oculus Quest port is still in the early stages, described over on Reddit by Bummser as: “a love labour sideproject by BaggyG,” which is slated to arrive during 2021. To give VR fans a taste of the project Team Beef has released an 8-minute gameplay video shot on an Oculus Quest 2 and it looks to be shaping up well. Giving off plenty of classic Doom and Quake vibes, it maintains that frantic gameplay crucial to the genre, where staying still is a death sentence.

It’s exciting to see how a port such as this will develop considering WRATH: Aeon of Ruin is still in Early Access. It’s third update dropped back in January adding a new enemy, weapon and artefact alongside balancing and general bug fixes. KillPixel has released a roadmap with a full release currently expected to take place during the summer. With that in mind, Team Beef is likely looking at a late 2021 rollout of the mod.

WRATH: Aeon of Ruin

Of course, while you wait for that you can support Team Beef’s porting efforts by donating and playing Doom3Quest. Being a mod you’ll need to own the original Doom 3 from 2004 – currently £4 on Steam – but not Doom 3: BFG Edition which the mod doesn’t support.

Check out the full gameplay video below. And for further updates on Team Beef’s unofficial port of WRATH: Aeon of Ruin on Oculus Quest, keep reading VRFocus.

Cybershoes Integrates Doom3Quest Support as Indiegogo Campaign Launches

Cybershoes

Virtual reality (VR) walking peripheral Cybershoes held a successful Kickstarter campaign at the end of 2020 to update the product to support Oculus Quest. This week the team is back with another crowd-funding campaign – this time on Indiegogo – with an interesting announcement, the shoes are fully integrated with Doom3Quest.

Cybershoes - DOOM3Quest

Just like the Kickstarter campaign, over on Indiegogo you’ve got the choice of the full Cybershoes for Oculus Quest kit or just the ‘CyQuest’ receiver. The kit which is currently available as a limited Super Early Bird Reward for $279 USD (instead of $399), includes the Cybershoes, Cyberchair, “CyQuest” receiver, Cybercarpet and USB Charger + Cables. The full kit also supports PC VR headset as well as Oculus Quest.

If you’ve previously purchased the Cybershoes for a PC VR headset and simply want to make it compatible with the standalone headset then grab the receiver for $49 (regular price will be $79). And that’s all you need to walk in VR using these unique peripherals.

During these campaign Cybershoes has been building support for more and more videogames, some with native integration like Arizona Sunshine or The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners which has non-native support. The latest to see compatibility is DOOM 3 VR mod Doom3Quest.

Cybershoes - Oculus Quest

Doom3Quest arrived last month from Simon Brown (Dr Beef) and Team Beef on SideQuest, allowing Oculus Quest/Quest 2 owners to play 2004’s Doom 3 in VR for the first time – the mod doesn’t support Doom 3: BFG Edition. All you need is a copy of the videogame which is available on Steam for £4.

“We can’t wait until you feel what it’s like to use their natural body movements to navigate a doomed research facility on Mars and experience Doom3Quest in VR,” said Cybershoes in a statement. “Thanks to Team Beef’s support of Cybershoes, slaying evil demons, pulverizing zombies, and squashing Hell’s attempt to take over the earth has never felt more immersive.”

Cybershoes for Oculus Quest is available now via Indiegogo with delivery to backers beginning in May 2021. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

Cybershoes Announce Doom3Quest Integration, Pre-Orders Via Indiegogo

Cybershoes announced full integration with Doom3Quest, alongside the launch of a new Indiegogo campaign to pre-order the device after a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Cybershoes have been around for quite a while now — we first tried them out for PC VR over two years ago, and more recently tried the updated model with support for Oculus Quest and Quest 2. In essence, Cybershoes attach to your feet and let you walk around in VR by moving them on the spot.

While the Quest does support roomscale tracking and physical movement, using Cybershoes would allow you to play sitting down or without worrying about the size of your playspace or your Guardian boundaries. The physical movement of your legs and feet may also help those who suffer from motion sickness, as an alternative to artificial movement using a thumbstick. After trying them last year, David noted that the Cybershoes worked reliability and effectively, but still failed to see the use cases unless it was for a comfort or accessibility reason.

Back in December, Cybershoes launched a Kickstarter campaign that finished with $98,000 raised — triple the original fundraising goal. Some users who already owned the Cybershoes kit for PC could get an adapter for Quest for $50. Alternatively, the full setup cost $300 with Quest compatibility, including the floor pad, spinning chair, receiver and the shoes themselves.

Cybershoes are now launching a second fundraising campaign through Indiegogo, which it claims will essentially allow people to pre-order units if they missed out on the Kickstarter. The estimated delivery for Kickstarter backers was April 2021, so it seems likey that Indiegogo backers probably won’t see their kits until after that.

Additionally, Cybershoes announced “full integration” with Doom3Quest, the sideloaded port of Doom 3’s single player campaign by modder DrBeef and his team. “We can’t wait until our backers are able to get their hands, or feet, on the product and feel what it’s like to use their natural body movements to navigate a doomed research facility on Mars and experience Doom3Quest in VR,” said Cybershoes CEO Michael Bieglmayer in a prepared statement.

You can see the Cybershoes in action, with full Doom3Quest integration, in the new trailer embedded above.