Virtual reality has become more popular as VR headsets like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR entered the market. VR is also more accessible to a lot of people as there are many industries that use VR to create more experiences for their customers. With the boom of virtual reality, there are also many VR accessories that are sold to level up VR experiences, especially in the gaming market.
The Roto VR Chair is the world’s first interactive VR chair and it has features that will elevate your VR gaming experience. This VR chair has a motor that allows free-hand movement to spin you 360 degrees for up to 22.5 rpm. It also has head-tracking technology and haptic feedback that makes VR gaming more realistic.
If you are a VR gamer and are always on the lookout for new VR accessories, you are in the right place. In this article, we have a detailed Roto VR chair review that talks about the Roto VR chair’s features, advantages, and disadvantages.
Virtual Reality Experience
Virtual reality has been around for decades and it has become more popular ever since virtual reality headsets such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive came into the market. According to research done by the National Research Group, at least 48% out of the 2,500 consumers that participated in the study have had at least one VR experience [1]. These participants had VR experiences either in their own homes, in an arcade, theme park, museum, or in a friend or family’s home.
There are a lot of virtual reality experiences that you can immerse in and VR gaming is one of them. According to a research company, Grand View Research, the market size value of the VR gaming industry in 2020 is USD 14.55 billion and is forecasted to have a revenue of USD 92.31 billion in 2027 [2]. Some of dominating players in the VR gaming market include HTC, Oculus, and Sony PlayStation VR.
As the VR gaming market continues to grow, there are a lot of companies that offer a variety of VR gaming accessories to entice gamers to invest in their products. Some of the VR gaming accessories include VR covers, VR gloves, Haptic Vests or Suits, and VR chairs.
What Is Roto?
Roto VR is a London-based company founded by Elliot Myers and Gavin Waxkirsh. Roto VR was founded on the premise of solving problems that VR users face when using virtual reality headsets. While virtual reality is all about exploring new virtual experiences, it does come with sensory-induced problems such as nausea, dizziness, sweating, or loss of balance. These usually result in motion sickness or referred to as VR sickness or cyber sickness.
Myers and Waxkirsh want VR users to be able to enjoy virtual reality without the problem of having motion sickness and they set out to create a solution that will solve users’ problems when wearing VR headsets. Aside from motion sickness, Myers and Waxkrish wanted to address the issue of tangled wires and how users can move seamlessly while in the digital world.
The company raised $5 million in investment and launched the world’s first interactive chair called Roto in 2020. The Roto VR chair has since intrigued some VR users and the company was able to generate over $1 million in revenue and was able to ship the product to over 65 countries including the U.S.
The company has now launched its 2nd generation Roto VR chair which is expected to have the pre-orders delivered commencing from Easter 2023.
Roto VR Chair
The Roto VR chair is the first interactive VR chair and it has a lot of features for your gaming needs as well as for other VR experiences. The Roto VR chair has a motorized 360-degree chair, patented look & turn technology, haptic feedback, and pass-through cable magazines for power and data.
The Roto VR chair has two versions: Roto Elite (2nd generation Roto VR chair) and Roto for Business.
The Roto Elite is designed for home and personal office use. This Roto VR chair has a smaller and lighter design compared to the Roto for Business VR chair. The Roto Elite is a swivel chair that resembles a bar seat with modern and minimalistic features. Like most swivel chairs, the Roto Elite has a gas lift that you can use to adjust the height of the chair.
The Roto for Business VR chair is larger and looks like a regular ergonomic chair. It is made to withstand the demands of retail and location-based entertainment centers where a lot of people may try on several VR experiences. But, the Roto for Business chair is not only for retail and entertainment centers. This is also perfect for gamers as there are additional accessories you can buy with the Roto VR chair to level up your gaming experience at home.
Let’s take a closer look at the features of the Roto VR chair.
Roto VR Chair Features
Motorized 360-degree chair
The Roto VR chair has motorized technology where the chair can turn you 360 degrees for up to 22.5rpm. You can control the motor via a head tracking technology that is included in the Roto VR chair or additional applications and accessories such as gamepads, joysticks, or a steering wheel. These accessories do not come with the Roto VR chair and are sold separately.
The Roto Elite has lockable wheels so you do not have to worry about accidentally rolling somewhere while you are using the Roto VR chair.
Head Tracking Technology
The Roto VR chair’s head-tracking technology is one of the ways to control the chair’s motors. The Roto Headtracker is included in both the Roto Elite and Roto for Business VR chairs.
This head tracker is clipped to the VR headset and the chair will follow the direction of where you will move your head. This makes for a hands-free method of moving unlike when moving in a regular gaming chair.
The Roto’s head-tracking technology makes for a more realistic and smooth gaming experience as you can just move your head and the chair will follow its movement intuitively. No need to push the floor with your feet as one would do when moving around regular gaming chairs.
Haptic Feedback
When gaming, the haptic feedback is usually felt in console or VR headsets’ remote controllers. Haptic feedback is the vibration you feel when, for example, the car you are driving in-game drives over gravel or when you are shooting enemies in first-player shooter games.
The Roto VR chair gives players a new gaming experience as they can experience haptic feedback not only on their hands but in their whole body as well. The Roto VR chair has built-in haptic sensors on the back and under the chair for a more immersive experience.
If you buy the Roto VR chair without the advanced seat, there will be only one haptic sensor and it is located on the base of the chair. Haptic feedback is a good feature to have, especially if you use VR primarily for gaming as it relates sensation to your body for a more realistic gaming experience.
Organized Wires
There is nothing more frustrating than when you are using a VR headset only to get tangled with its wires mid-game. The base of the Roto has a Cable Magazine (slip rings) that transmits power and data to your VR headset. The Roto’s Cable Magazine spins with the chair so you won’t have to worry about wire tangling in your feet.
The USB port also supports other VR headsets and accessories like joysticks and steering wheels. A basic Cable Magazine is included in the Roto Elite.
Do not that the Roto VR chair is compatible with every VR headset except the Sony PlayStation VR.
360-degree Foot Rest
To provide more comfort to its users, the Roto VR chair also has a footrest that rotates 360 degrees together with the chair. The Roto for Business VR chair has touch pedals for more accessibility when gaming. This also makes realistic gameplay, especially when playing racing games.
Roto VR Chair Accessories
As we mentioned earlier, the Roto VR Chair has a variety of accessories that you can include in your purchase.
The Roto Elite does not include an ergonomic seat so if you want the comfort of an ergonomic chair, you will have to pay for Roto’s premium seat in your purchase. A seat adapter is already included in the Roto Elite so you do not have to buy the Roto premium seat. You can just add a different seat to the base of the Roto VR chair as it already has a seat adapter.
If you purchase the Roto for Business VR chair, an ergonomic seat is already included in your purchase. Roto’s premium seat has proper backrest paddings for lumbar and neck support and the seat also has padded headrests as well as cushioned seats for maximum comfort. If you want more freedom in your movement, the seat’s armrest can be removed if you want to move your arms outside the confines of the chair. The headrest is also adjustable for your comfort.
Other Roto VR chair accessories that you can buy are the RotoVR Side Tables where you can put your hands-on throttle sticks (HOTAS), more commonly known as joysticks. The side tables (right and left) have a padded slot where you can store your VR controllers and it comes with pre-set screws that are compatible with most joysticks in the market.
If you are into racing games, Roto VR has a racing pack that you can attach to the base of the Roto VR chair. The racing pack does not include a steering wheel or pedals but the accessory is compatible with most standard steering wheels and pedals on the market.
Another Roto accessory you can buy is the Roto VR Desktop. This accessory also attaches to the base and is a non-slip table where you can place your keyboard and laptop. To easily come out of the Roto VR chair when the Roto VR desktop is attached, there is a pull knob at the rear of the accessory to rotate it.
Advantages Of The Roto VR Chair
As the first interactive VR chair on the market, it definitely has its advantages. More realistic gameplay can be achieved as the VR Roto chair has motorized technology that allows for free-hand movement while sitting. This VR chair is also good for VR users who like seated VR experiences as this VR chair is designed to reduce motion sickness for a smoother VR experience. The Roto VR chair also has haptic feedback which can make gameplay more realistic.
If you are sick of black gaming chairs, the Roto VR chair comes in 3 other colors aside from black: Orange, green, and blue. If you are a VR gamer and like to have a more realistic and immersive experience, the Roto VR chair might be worth a look.
Disadvantages Of The Roto VR Chair
If you only play VR games casually or are on a tight budget, the Roto VR chair’s price might be a deal breaker. The Roto Elite costs a couple of hundred dollars and the Roto for Business VR chair costs a couple of thousands of dollars.
The Roto VR chair also does not include any of the accessories that we mentioned above so you will have to shell out more money if you want to upgrade your Roto VR chair.
The Roto Elite also does not come with an ergonomic seat and you have to buy Roto’s premium seat. But, it does come with a seat adaptor so you can add a different seat if you do not want the Roto premium seat.
Since Roto only has a motorized 360-degree chair, it does not mimic the feeling when you play flight simulation games. The Roto VR chair is good for games like racing FPS games.
Conclusion
The first interactive VR chair does have its pros and cons, that’s for sure. The Roto VR chair has head-tracking technology that tracks head movements and spins the chair in the direction your head will move. Other features such as its haptic feedback make it a good addition to a VR experience.
The Roto VR chair does cost a lot. If you are a serious VR gamer, it might be worth the investment. But, if you are a casual VR gamer, it may be better to stick with a regular gaming chair.
Do you think the Roto VR chair is worth the investment? Let us know what you think!
