Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Features

These shoes let me stroll through ‘Skyrim,’ and I desperately want to go back

Felicia Miranda
By

Michael Bieglmayer and Igor Mitric are a quirky duo from Austria that head a VR brand called Cybershoes. You may have heard the name pop up back in October 2018, when their Kickstarter campaign reached full funding (and then some) in a matter of only two hours.

With 1,006 backers and $247,674 raised, the campaign claims that Cybershoes are the world’s first virtual reality shoe to immerse players using natural movement. I tracked them down at CES, and they swept me off my feet.

Happy feet

The booth featured two demo stations, one with Doom VFR and the other with Skyrim VR. Since I wasn’t up for the chaotic pace of Doom, I opted to try Cybershoes while playing Skyrim. After sitting down on the chair, the team quickly strapped on the shoes, placed a Vive headset on my head, and just like that — I was in the world of Skyrim.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

At first, I was tried to skate along the dirt path. It wasn’t very effective. Then I was instructed to pick up my feet, and as I did, I started to move along at a rapid clip. Slow, awkward movements became quick, swift little kicks, and after a few minutes I was climbing hills and shooting arrows at wolves without thinking about what my feet were doing.

My experience didn’t last long. A giant came along and bashed me with a club, and that was that. Off came the headset and the shoes, and to my disappointment, the demo was over.

I put on the Cybershoes with some reservations. Surely, I thought, they wouldn’t be intuitive or feel natural. My skepticism has now melted away. The shoes seemed easy to use, comfortable, and translated well to playing an open-world game like Skyrim. I the real world I was anchored in one place, but in the game I roamed freely.

The Cybershoes bundle

Cybershoes outdoes its competition by being a more compact alternative to walking and running in VR. The simple design is a little off putting. It looks too simple to work. Yet that might be because other VR traversal solutions often look like something out of a sci-fi movie. The shoes require you to be seated, which might be a deterrent for some, but the upside is you won’t have to worry about tripping over furniture.

You’ll quickly realize, though, that Cybershoes aren’t as simple or compact as they look. You’ll need a laundry list of very specific items to use them properly. The list includes a stationary chair that spins on its axis like a barstool, at least 59 inches of carpet with short, even texture, and a VR headset that supports SteamVR apps — particularly those that utilize free locomotion.

Wire management is another beast you’ll have to tackle, as spinning in a chair means you’ll inevitably end up tangled. While you can find some pretty great suggestions for that on their Kickstarter page, it’s yet another thing you’ll need to consider when buying in. There’s a reason why the Kickstarter campaign offered Cybershoes bundles instead of only recommending items on Amazon.

Without the bundles, you’re likely going to be paying more just to recreate the perfect setup for these shoes.

Before I commit, I think I’ll need a little more time with Skyrim.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
I tried 3 of Remnant 2’s classes and already have a clear favorite
Three characters shoot at a boss in Remnant 2.

When starting a new Soulslike game, I’m always faced with a make-or-break decision immediately: my class selection. There’s nothing worse than getting 20 hours into something like Elden Ring and realizing that the class I’ve chosen just doesn’t match my playstyle at all. So I’m glad that I’ve already sorted that out with Remnant 2, the upcoming sequel to Remnant: From the Ashes.

I went hands-on with the shooter at this year’s Game Developers Conference, trying out three classes as I attempted to gun down an ultra-tough boss. While I initially struggled to make a dent in my playthrough with my first two characters, I’d eventually wipe the floor with my enemies when I tried out the sequel’s new Handler class. Though, maybe that’s a little inaccurate: My cute, deadly dog companion did most of the heavy lifting. That experience has me much more intrigued by the Soulslike shooter, as a major overhaul to the original’s class system is already clicking with me.
New archetypes
Like its predecessor, Remnant 2 is a third-person shooter that draws inspiration from the Soulslike genre. You’ve got your high-difficulty, bonfire-like checkpoints, evasion rolls, and enormous bosses on the other side of foggy doors. The difference, though, is that the focus is on gunplay rather than close-ranged melee combat. Remnant 2 continues all of that, but the big change this time is in how it's handling character classes. While each archetype is still built around a specific set of weapons, they come loaded with more skills and perks that are gradually unlocked through a progression system.

Read more
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: release date, trailers, preorder, and more
Link on island in the sky in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

When Nintendo released the teaser trailer for Breath of the Wild 2 several years ago, it unleashed a whirlwind of rumors and speculation about a sequel to one of the best Zelda games. Thankfully, Nintendo has given us a few new glimpses into what we now know will be called The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is finally nearing its release in 2023. As anticipation reaches a new high, we've dug up all the information there is about our next adventure in Hyrule.

Further reading

Read more
How to get the Punisher in Resident Evil 4
The punisher stats and details.

Leon's arsenal of weaponry in the Resident Evil 4 remake includes all the fan favorites from the original. While you begin the game with just a single pistol, you will quickly find and unlock a wide range of weapons to not only purchase, but also invest upgrades into. One such returning handgun is the Punisher. This is a powerful gun you can get your hands on early if you play your cards right, but in a different way than it was obtained in the original version. If you want to experiment with all the guns at Leon's disposal, here's how you can add the Punisher to your attaché case in Resident Evil 4 remake.
Where to get the Punisher

In the original Resident Evil 4, you got the Punisher for free simply by shooting all of the Blue Medallions in the Farm area of the game. Unfortunately, while you will still earn some useful cash for shooting them all in the remake, you won't be getting a free gun out of the deal. This time, starting in Chapter 2, the Merchant will start offering to sell the Punisher to you for 5 Spinels.

Read more