Technology

Posted on April 2, 2020 by staff

UK firm behind moving VR gaming chair raises £1.5m

Technology

A London-based designer of ‘world first’ interactive VR gaming chair has raised £1.5m.

Roto VR’s interactive chair is designed to address the physical problem of using VR whilst seated, such as motion sickness and tangling cables.

The chair is motorised and can auto-rotate to wherever the user is looking, allowing for 360-degree viewing and exploration, with an inbuilt desktop to supports keyboard and mouse input.

Founded in March 2015, CEO and co-founder Elliott Myers had previously developed 3D game controller Gametrak, but wanted to increase in-game immersion. The dedicated interactive chair is the first product to be released by the firm.

“Most people sit down to watch movies, work, play games and browse the internet whilst seated and we see no reason why the exciting new medium of VR will be any different,” said Myers.

The chair is compatible with most VR headsets and is compatible with all movies and games, as well as additional accessories such as racing wheels and joysticks.

The company is due to launch the consumer and office version of Roto imminently, and said it has identified a number of market opportunities across a select range of industries in the out of home sectors, such as cinemas and arcades. It is currently priced at $1,900 (£1,530).

The firm’s round was led by Pembroke VCT, with participation from The TVB Growth Fund and Jenson Solutions, managed by The FSE Group.