Kat Walk C VR Running Pad Review (Jan 2023)

Kat Walk C VR Treadmill Review: As VR enthusiasts, we all desire full immersion. To feel totally immersed, we must have the freedom to move freely in the virtual world.

For that, you need a lot of space, which not many of us have. Most of us have a two-meter by two-meter playing space.

This isn’t the ideal VR environment. Announcing the world’s first consumer virtual reality treadmill, the KAT WALK C. 

VR Treadmill Cheap Alternative: VR Mats

What is KAT Walk C?

The KAT Walk C is a personal VR Gaming Omni-Directional Treadmill for sale that allows a 360-degree motion for human motion in VR, resulting in a vast movement area in VR on a minimum amount of physical space in reality.

It works with all major VR headsets. And there are two versions, a Large & a Standard, for different player heights, but it is the same price.

How Does Kat Walk C Work? 

Users can freely move once they are strapped into the harness without having to worry about hitting the structure. Specially designed shoes make walking and running feel realistic. They use a high-friction material.

This VR walking platform allows you to actually walk, crouch, jump and even run in VR! It’s exactly like in Ready Player One.

So you may have seen other treadmills before, but most of those were very expensive and made for arcades or businesses. 

The Kat Walk C is the first omnidirectional VR treadmill made with consumers in mind and small enough to put in a small apartment.

Does the Kat Walk C actually give us that total immersion? Is it worth 1400 dollars? We’ll reveal this today.

Kat Walk C Review: Specs & Setup

So, here is the KAT Walk C. This is an omnidirectional treadmill meaning it allows for 360 degrees of motion. 

It includes a pair of dedicated VR shoes that will enable you to slide on the platform. The two wireless feet trackers mounted on the shoes can track what you’re doing and send that to the game. 

Kat Walk C doesn’t come with assembled, the bottom part comes separately from the top part, so you gotta assemble that first.

However, the instructions were straightforward, so it took about two hours to get it running.

Make sure you have enough moving space to deliver the 94-kilo box to your room and I think this is the most challenging part.

Kat Walk C Software setup is like a breath of fresh air. You’ve had to set up several different VR devices over the years. 

You will also know this if you have been in PC VR for a while. If you try to plug in something new, you almost always have software bugs and spend a lot of time trying to make it work. It was surprisingly easy to set up the KAT Walk C software. 

After installing the KAT Gateway app and pairing the Kat Walk C and two-foot controllers with a USB cable, you will be ready to go.

You then put your shoes on (anti-slip band over the slippery part) and then slide in the feet trackers. 

Strap yourself into the Kat VR and put on your headset (which can easily be hung on the back hooks).

Turn on your VR headset (my favorite Oculus Quest 2) and start playing. Pull back the anti-slip band on your shoes so you can slide comfortably. 

Then you can use the Kat VR app in the SteamVR menu to calibrate or set settings, which isn’t always needed. 

It works with all SteamVR games that have smooth locomotion, which is excellent. So you can go to try out VRChat, No Man’s Sky, Half-Life Alyx, Skyrim, and Population: One. 

You will feel comfortable with this VR running pad within around 30 minutes.

Kat Walk C Review: Pros and Cons

However, you will notice a couple of things. First, it makes SO MUCH noise. This may not be a big problem if you can isolate your walls, but it is something to consider. 

Moreover, if you play a multiplayer game, people may hear you. And in competitive VR games like Population: One. You feel a bit restricted because you have to actually walk, so you tire your body out faster. 

This is not an issue in less competitive multiplayer games like No Man’s Sky, but if you’re doing a mission together, you may have to wait until you finally reach that ancient module you were supposed to dig up to finish the quest, which can be awkward or just funny.

Plus, you prefer to turn your real body to immerse yourself rather than using artificial turning strategies like snap turning. The Kat Walk C requires more time to turn around than without it. 

The situation isn’t too bad since you can still move around with your stick. If you feel tired, you can just use your VR controllers as usual. 

In addition, you can change settings to make it less tiring, such as setting the sensitivity, so you move faster per step. Afterward, it also feels strange walking normally again. 

Not too bad since it’s just like when you’ve been skating or snowboarding. It just feels a bit weird when you’re out of your boots, but it doesn’t take long for our bodies to acclimatize again. 

Kat Walk C Review: Conclusion

Getting used to the Kat Walk C is like learning a new skill, like riding a bike, skating, or even snowboarding.

Once you know how it works, it becomes natural, and you gain another way of transporting yourself, similar to learning a new skill, but first, you must overcome a hurdle.

But taking all this into account, the Kat Walk C may not be as suitable for everyone. Like those who only play competitive multiplayer games. 

However, if you also like single-player VR games and enjoy exploring them, then we’d say yes. And a great additional effect? You can also stay fit while exercising without even realizing it. 

Does Kat Walk C VR Treadmill give us complete immersion? Well, not yet as it still has some restrictions, but it’s definitely getting us there. 

To make Ready Player One a reality, we must also upgrade other VR accessories like headsets and possibly even brain-computer interfaces.

Our progress is faster and closer than we ever imagined. We mean, consumer VR only exists for four years, so what else will come in the next four years? We’re excited.

In terms of comfort and build quality, we want to spend more time on them. We will have a full review later on where we will dive deeper into everything we discussed today.

Check Kat Walk VR Treadmill Price on Amazon

Check Kat Walk VR Treadmill Price on Official Website

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