After a 9 hour drive from waking up and leaving at 7 a.m., I arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada. My mission was simple; look over a chair specifically designed for virtual reality. It sounds silly on the surface, but is far more technical than what I would ever think.

Initial thoughts, even to myself were, “Why would you want to have this futuristic death trap?” and “These are like those chairs from Wall-E.” It has a far more value application than what you would begin to think. 

After a long drive of sitting down in a car, it was time for some sitting down in a chair. Before that though, there was a lot of other things to get out of the way including a keynote. The night was beginning as I was in the HyperX Esports Arena looking for some coverage.

The Yaw2 (no space), a successor to the previous model just called Yaw, was finally launching this evening. Investors, Kickstarter Backers, Press, and guests were all present. Microsoft Flight Simulator, Grand Theft Auto V, and other games were playing on the screen, to show examples of the Yaw2 in action. 

Each chair was laid out with specific setups like VR headsets, flight sticks, and race pedals. LED lights laced them, glowing and changing colors. Over 1,200 backers and over $2.7 million USD pledged it; making it the most successful VR Kickstarter campaign in history, and beating that of the Oculus.

One major challenge was the chip shortages that are affecting all manufacturing across the world. Each device needs a chip, and with the growing cost of materials, this makes it harder to produce.

Native game support and getting support for standalone VR headsets are in the plans for the near future. Reaching out to developers is important; and in the case of one- the developers of Epic Roller Coasters– B4T Games were busy at work. 

According to the B4T Games, it took about one week to integrate full motion VR into Epic Roller Coasters. Outside of the VR headset you use, their mission was to make sure to implement movement to make it fun. 

Additionally, the future of Yaw2 includes a Yaw2 Lite device, and aiming to become a market leader in 2 years. But all of these details don’t mean anything without actually testing out the device itself. Which I did.

After sitting in the chair (not me pictured above), it felt like a comfortable experience. You can also replace the chair with your own if you choose. It bumps, it moves around with a wide range, but is pretty noisy when in use. Noise reduction is in the works, which is promising.

Every game that I tested had decent movement tracking, and were all controlled with the Oculus 2. Sometimes, like in the instance of the roller coaster game, the chair jolts back. It was a little concerning, but the chair was glued to the ground, metaphorically speaking. 

Equally important, if you have the need to move the device, there was word of being able to do so via small wheels positioned discretely. Some adjustments for your chair, including installation, can be changed by using a screwdriver for now.

In conclusion, some things are still being finalized. Weight limit, which is 300 lbs and was tested up to 530 lbs, may not be fully capable just yet. Likewise, specifics that are complete are how chairs are connected via local network, and not directly to your PC. This is to ensure that you don’t get your cords tangled when using the movement of the chair.

Space requirements are 6 ft by 6 ft in your office or play space, but you can also limit movement if you may not have enough room. Most competitors use bigger motors to make the chairs move, where as the Yaw2 uses smaller motors at the center of gravity. Small details such as those are crucial to making sure it can meet the goal of being the market leader in 2 years.

I’m hopeful for the future of virtual reality, and after driving 20 hours total, I certainly hope it is. Undeniably, the Yaw2 is a niche product for those with VR setups in their home or business owners seeking commercial use.

The Yaw2 is slated to start shipping regular models in October to November, with the Pro versions shipping November to December. A G Platform (Gravity Platform) working prototype is also slated for late November.