Skip to main content

The Kat Walk C2 looks to be the ultimate VR treadmill

As virtual reality becomes more commonplace, we’ll need ways of moving in a virtual world without accidentally crashing into our furniture. Kat VR is hoping it’s up to the challenge via the second-generation of its Kat Walk C VR treadmill.

Originally reported by Road to VR, the Kat Walk C2 is basically an omnidirectional treadmill that allows the user to “freely” move about a virtual environment as naturally as real life. This includes walking, jogging, sprinting, dodging, jumping, kneeling, and other actions you may perform in a game.

Two images of the Kat VR C2 VR treadmill being used.

Kat VR says that the C2 has one-to-one real time foot tracking using optical sensors with latency less than 10 milliseconds.

There’s also a C2 Plus model that allows the user to sit down. In the YouTube video you can watch below, the company showed a person using the chair attachment to sit down in a virtual car. This would greatly improve immersion during driving games.

KAT Walk C 2: The NEW Definition of VR Treadmill! Kickstarter - MAY 14!

As far as VR headset compatibility, Kat VR says that the C2 has universal compatibility with all major headsets and works with all free locomotive games across platforms.

Kat VR launched its original Kat Walk VR treadmill on Kickstarter in 2015. It followed that up with the Kat Walk C in 2020. It’s going to crowdfunding again as it launches the C2 on May 14.

The different movement sets of the Kat Walk C2.

There will be different pricing tiers on Kickstarter:

  • Super KATer Extra Early Bird: $698
  • Extra Early-Bird: $798
  • Early-Bird: $898
  • Special Kickstarter Offer: $998

The C2 Plus model, which includes the aforementioned chair and haptics, is sold as an add-on for $200.

While this is expensive, it’s around the same price that the Virtuix Omni launched at. Additionally, the Kat C2 doesn’t require a Microsoft Kinect for spatial awareness. It also seems to track movement much better than the Strider VR treadmill.

That said, The Omni and even the original Kat Walk have found success at the commercial level. Kat VR is hoping to position the C2 for the consumer audience. This would make VR more palatable for people who don’t have large, dedicated spaces for VR movement.

Once the Kickstarter launches for the Kat C2 on May 14, the first units are to be shipped starting in July.

Editors' Recommendations

Apple Reality Pro: everything we know about Apple’s VR headset
Apple VR Headset Concept by Antonio De Rosa

In recent months, rumors about Apple working on a top-secret headset project have reached a fever pitch. But at the same time, the chatter has become increasingly convoluted -- Apple is reportedly planning to use mixed reality (MR) rather than solely augmented reality (AR) or VR, but how exactly that will work is unknown. What will the device look like? And what features will it have?

That is where this roundup comes in. We combed through the rumors and reports to find all the latest key information, then combined it in one convenient location. Here is everything we know about Apple’s upcoming mixed-reality headset, including price, features, and more.

Read more
Apple delays unveiling of mixed-reality headset, report claims
A rendering of an Apple mixed-reality headset (Reality Pro) in a gray color seen from the front.

Apple’s highly anticipated mixed-reality headset is expected to be unveiled at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, according to a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

A Bloomberg report last month suggested the headset would land in April, but according to Gurman’s sources Apple has now delayed its appearance by three months after testing of the device surfaced software and hardware issues.

Read more
Forget VR. Airglass made me actually enjoy video calls
A graphic showing airglass working on a laptop screen.

Video calls have become a staple of the modern office, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon. Companies like Meta want you to think mixed reality or virtual reality might make these meetings easier to stomach, but we all know those technologies don't quite feel ready yet.

But the startup Mobeus has a different idea about how to improve video meetings -- and it doesn't involve any more hardware than the laptop you already own. I spoke with Mobeus' Head of Marketing and Chief Evangelist Alan Lepofsky about Airglass while testing out this new video conferencing software myself.

Read more