VR developers LYRobotix have announced a brand new motion tracking system that brings room-scale virtual reality and motion-tracking to smartphones for the first time. For just $89 you get the entire Nolo Motion Tracking System, consisting of a single base station (Much like an HTC Vive Lighthouse or Oculus Sensor), a headset marker that mounts to your chosen device and fully-detectable motion controllers. It’s simple, it’s affordable and it may just be the next big step in mobile VR.
Now, while NOLO can absolutely enhance your Google Cardboard games and other mobile-only VR experiences, the true power of the motion tracking system lies in it’s compatibility with Steam VR. With NOLO, mobile devices devices are actually capable of serving as a replacement for an HTC Vive for running fully-immersive virtual reality titles. Players can duck, lean, pick up objects, shoot arrows with a bow, all the functionality that comes with motion-tracking and dual controllers.
It should be noted that while the mobile system will have the capability to run Steam VR games, there will be a significant decrease in quality compared to a high-end headset like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or PSVR. Furthermore, even the larger smartphones are only capable of producing a limited field-of-view. Despite these shortcomings, this could be the perfect device for someone looking to try out all those interesting Steam VR games without dropping hundreds, and more importantly it takes us one step closer to the holy grail of high-quality immersion in mobile VR.
To get your hands on one of these bad boys head over to www.nolovr.com now to reserve your own. You’ll have to act quick—the first round of shipments are limited to only 100. If you want to get yours for that sweet, sweet $89, you’ll need to get moving. We have good reason to suspect that prices will jump as shipments continue.