The Roto VR Explorer is grabbing the attention of plenty of XR enthusiasts right now – and I can see why. At a glance, a chair that tracks your movement as you spin around in VR might seem like little more than a gimmick. But, in my opinion, it’s an interesting alternative to all of the other peripherals emerging to tackle the issue of VR locomotion.
In the last couple of years, as more companies and consumers embrace extended reality, we’ve seen countless new concepts emerging to change how we navigate virtual spaces. Innovators are introducing VR Shoes, omni-directional treadmills, and even tactile mats.
So, why not explore VR chairs too?
London-based Roto VR thinks its “Made for Meta” chair will give us a more intuitive and immersive experience in our VR applications, and I’m all for comfort in virtual reality.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Roto VR Explorer.
What is the Roto VR Explorer?
The Roto VR Explorer is a new, motorized chair created by Roto VR, that can rotate 360 degrees with your head movements, and sync with your in-game audio. Available for $799, it’s one of the pricier accessories made for Meta devices like the Quest 3.
However, compared to other VR locomotion solutions, like omni-directional treadmills, this piece of intuitive furniture will be much more accessible to the masses. What differentiates this chair from your standard spinning office chair, is the patented “look and turn technology”, combining a powerful motorized base with full-body haptic feedback.
The chair also acts as a handy all-in-one hub station for the Quest 3, with a built-in charging port for your headset, so you don’t run out of juice mid-session.
Features include:
360-degree look-and-turn capabilities
21 revs per minute motor
Haptic feedback for your entire body
Integrated charging port
Cable management system
The Roto VR Explorer: Design and Comfort
The Roto VR Explorer looks like a standard office chair, if you ignore the bulky, circular base on the bottom. It’s not the most attractive chair I’ve seen, nor is it as comfortable as my standard office recliner. Still, the design has its benefits.
First, this chair features a high-quality leather seat with adjustable seat height options and an adjustable footrest. Additionally, even though the oversized wheelbase with its integrated electric motor takes up a lot of room, this chair is more compact than a full-sized omnidirectional treadmill.
I’m also a fan of the integrated cable management system, which keeps everything neat and organized, while protecting your wires. The included charging port is a handy extra too, tackling the common problem of low headset battery life.
The “Look and Turn” technology built into the chair works really well, automatically turning users to face whichever direction they’re looking. A slight downside, however, is to move you automatically, the chair needs to pull information from a hockey-puck style sensor attached to the top of your headset. This adds a little more weight to your head while you’re enjoying VR.
On the plus side, the haptic “rumble” sensations feel nice enough, and are great at giving you that extra sense of immersion in VR settings. Additionally, Roto VR has said this chair will be “modular”, so users can add accessories for different setups.
Although the Roto VR Explorer is a “Made for Meta” device, approved by Meta itself, it can support other standalone headsets, such as the VIVE XR Elite and, soon, the Apple Vision Pro.
If you want a little more comfort, Roto is planning on introducing a “Pro” version of the chair soon, which comes with adjustable arms, a higher seat back, and head rest support.
Does the Roto VR Explorer Improve Immersion?
As I mentioned above, the Roto VR Explorer isn’t just a VR Locomotion gimmick, it aims to address some of the biggest challenges with actually using VR headsets. First, it can actually make your VR experiences feel a lot more immersive – depending on the app you use.
Not every VR application actually needs you to move around or even stand up. If you’re enjoying an immersive collaboration session in an app like Microsoft Immersive Spaces, for instance, you might just want to sit at a “virtual desk” and turn to look at whiteboards and colleagues at times.
Unfortunately, looking around at your full “virtual landscape” isn’t always easy when you’re sitting on a standard office chair or your sofa. The shape of a standard chair usually gets in the way, forcing you to stand up, crane your neck, or use controllers to see certain parts of a space.
The Roto VR Explorer addresses this issue, allowing for a more comfortable immersive experience. It even makes it easier to use your arms and hands freely when you’re in VR. Since it has a shorter backrest than your standard chair, your arms are free to move around while you interact with content.
The rumble pack, providing force feedback, also boosts immersion in my opinion. This haptic feature could be particularly useful for certain VR games and experiences, such as when you’re test-driving a car or learning how to fly a plane in extended reality.
Reducing Motion Sickness in VR
When announcing the Roto VR Explorer, the XR company didn’t just draw attention to how this accessory boosts immersion. They also said that it could potentially help users to fight back against the issue of “VR sickness.”
Roto believes that a chair that supports real-world movements that coincide with what you see in VR will cause less disorientation for your brain. The less disconnect there is between what your body is doing (moving around) and what you see in VR, the less likely you are to feel nauseous when wearing your headset. It makes sense.
You might think you can achieve a similar experience by rotating a regular office chair with your legs. But you’re less likely to have the smooth and streamlined experience that Roto VR is offering.
The speed of the chair’s movement matches the speed and intensity of your head movements. That means, a slight turn of your head isn’t going to suddenly jolt you around in your seat. Instead, you’ll feel like you’re moving and looking around a space naturally.
Sure, it probably won’t eliminate motion sickness for everyone, but I can definitely see how this accessory will make some VR sessions more comfortable.
A Better Alternative to VR Treadmills?
I doubt that VR chairs like the Roto VR Explorer are going to eliminate the need for other VR locomotive solutions like VR Shoes and treadmills. In situations where you do need to stand up and walk around freely in VR, those accessories will definitely help to stop you from bumping into walls, and give you a more immersive, natural experience.
However, for people who do spend a lot of time sitting in VR, the Roto VR Explorer has a lot of benefits. After all, most of us don’t have the space or the money required to invest in something as advanced as the Virtuix Omni Arena, or Disney’s Holotile Infinite floor.
The large size of the Roto chair’s base means it probably won’t fit next to your standard computer desk, but you’ll have an easier time finding space for it in your office or home. The chair is unassuming, and compact enough that it should fit into most setups. Plus, since Roto says that you’ll be able to customize the design with add-ons and accessories in the years ahead, there’s a good chance this chair will appeal to a wide range of VR users.
Is the Roto VR Explorer Worthwhile?
While it’s a lot less expensive, and easier to implement into your office or home than a VR treadmill, the Roto VR Explorer is still pretty expensive. With a price tag of around $799, I can’t see every company or individual rushing out to buy this accessory straight away.
However, if you are looking for an intuitive way to enhance your XR setup, even if you’re just using your headset for immersive meetings, the VR Explorer could be a good choice. It’s compatible with over 400 games and apps on the Meta Quest store already, and it is reasonably comfortable.
Clearly, Roto thinks the chair will be a success. Even though it’s still only available for preorder at the time of writing, the Roto VR Explorer Pro is already in production. In my opinion, this won’t be the last we see of VR chairs or Roto VR.
