Skip to main content

Yaw VR turns virtual driver’s seat into immersive experience

If traditional virtual reality experiences aren’t cutting it for you, perhaps you need to add another layer of immersion. Yaw VR, a motion simulator, fashions itself as “the world’s most compact and affordable” VR experience of its kind. Created by the Hungary-based startup Intellisense, the project has already raised more than a third of its $150,000 crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter.

Users sit inside a spherical dome and place their feet on an attached footrest. From there, Yaw achieves a full 360 degrees of movement vertically, and 50 degrees of freedom horizontally using small electric motors. Both marks, according to Intellisense, prove impressive compared to industrial motion simulators, especially when considering Yaw’s price.

Recommended Videos

Right now, early bird backers can pledge $890 to receive a unit in August. Once those slots are filled, the regular price of Yaw VR is $1,190. While by no means cheap, with the market for this type of product basically non-existent, it’s hard to compare it to anything else.

When you wrap up a session, all of the parts stored in the dome, which is then flipped for easy storage and portability. The entire contraption amazingly weighs a mere 33 pounds.

Targeted at gamers, Yaw will be compatible with SimTools, and is said to work with more than 80 different simulator apps already. Those who pre-order will receive four apps for free: A flight simulator, a racing sim, a space battle game, and a roller-coaster sim. Additionally, the kit is designed to work with PlayStation VR, Oculus Go, Gear VR, and regular PC games. Users can also develop their own open-source software for Yaw.

To add even more to the gaming experience, Intellisense will package an adjustable pedal, steering wheel, and joystick holders. Simulator enthusiasts can attach their flight sim sticks and high-end racing wheels to Yaw.

Yaw supports up to 330 pounds of weight and can move 120 degrees per second using just 40 percent of its max power. Its lightweight design and small motors allow it to run virtually silent throughout its movement.

It remains to be seen how durable Yaw VR will be through continued use. It’s worth noting that Intellisense will also release a Yaw VR Pro “designed for extreme intensive use” at the same time. Pledges of $1,340 secure the Pro edition and also let you fit your motion simulator with a custom color pattern.

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
VR gaming lost me in 2023, and then totally won me back
A character slashes enemies in Asgard's Wrath 2.

If you'd asked me where I stood on VR gaming back in early May of this year, it would have been a dire conversation.

A little over a month into the PlayStation VR2's life span, I was feeling entirely disillusioned with the tech. Headsets liked the Meta Quest 2 had stopped delivering fresh experiences that felt like they could transcend the technical gimmick and PSVR2 felt dead in the water on day one. Despite being a firm supporter of VR for a decade, I felt like the train was about to leave the station for me.

Read more
PlayStation VR2 just got 2 fun shooters, but I’m still waiting to be wowed
Key art for Firewall Ultra.

For the past six months, PlayStation VR2 players like myself have been yearning for new reasons to boot up our headsets. And after a long wait, the VR platform is getting a much-needed infusion with two brand-new titles. It’s a cause for celebration, but a mild one; neither of PSVR2's latest titles does much to revitalize my shock and awe for the platform six months into its life span.

The two games in question are the exclusive, Sony-published Firewall Ultra from First Contact Entertainment and Crossfire Sierra Squad from Smilegate. Both are realistic-looking military shooters, although they are different in execution. Firewall Ultra is a Rainbow Six Siege-style, squad-based multiplayer game, while Crossfire Sierra Squad taps more into the genre’s arcade roots to create VR shooting galleries.

Read more
Atari is publishing its first VR game, and it’s coming to PSVR2
Hands in VR control an Atari 2600 joystick in Pixel Ripped 1978.

Legendary game giant Atari is breaking into VR. This summer, the company will publish Pixel Ripped 1978, the third entry in the standout VR Pixel Ripped series. It will launch on PC and PlayStation 5 and be compatible with both PlayStation VR 2 and Meta Quest 2.

Pixel Ripped 1978 - Announcement Trailer

Read more