CES

Rotating chair for VR games: Roto VR Explorer

The Roto VR Explorer gaming chair moves the user of a VR headset in a circle in the direction of view. Contrary to expectations, it doesn't make you feel sick.

Jan 8, 2025 at 9:29 pm CET

3 min. read

By

André Kramer

London-based start-up Roto VR has partnered with Meta to develop a gaming chair that rotates in sync with the VR world when used with Meta Quest headsets or compatible devices. This is designed to make the VR experience more immersive.

A motor is built into the circular base of the chair, which can move the chair, including a footrest, in a circle via a central axis at up to 21 revolutions per minute. The seat height and footrest can be adjusted.

Videos by heise

"Look & Turn" operating concept

The concept is called "Look & turn". When the wearer of the VR glasses looks around, the chair moves in the corresponding direction. This allows the entire field to be displayed in 360 degrees.

The gaming chair does not communicate directly with the headset. Instead, the system comes with a head tracker that looks like a small poke ball and which the user attaches to their head or VR headset. The tracker transmits the direction of movement of the head via Bluetooth to the motor in the base of the chair.

The motor is embedded in the round base. The chair, including the footrest, rotates along the central axis like a desk chair.

Test drive with VR game

At the CES in Las Vegas, we were able to try out the Roto VR Explorer with a video game in which you fly through a virtual world like Iron Man. Every movement immediately sets the chair in motion.

Surprisingly, we didn't experience the nausea that usually comes on so quickly. Apparently, it has a positive effect that the head and thus the organ of balance are accelerated in the same direction as the eye suggests.

The head tracker supplied is attached to the headset and transmits the movement data to the motor in the chair via Bluetooth.

Haptic feedback via the seat surface

A "rumble pack" is also embedded in the leather seat surface, which enables haptic feedback. To do this, you need to connect the sound output of the headset to the USB port of the head tracker. A cable from jack to USB is included.

The headset can also be charged during use via a USB port on the center axis. The Roto VR Explorer should be compatible with all applications and games in the Meta Quest Store. However, very few apps are likely to provide a meaningful use for a rotating chair. The target group is conceivably hardcore VR gamers – with sufficient space and small change.