Room-scale (sometimes written without the dash) is a design paradigm for

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educ ...

(VR) experiences which allows users to freely walk around a play area, with their real-life motion reflected in the VR environment. Using 360 degree

tracking Tracking may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Tracking, in computer graphics, in match moving (insertion of graphics into footage) * Tracking, composing music with music tracker software * Eye tracking, measuring the position of t ...

equipment such as infrared sensors, the VR system monitors the user's movement in all directions, and translates this into the virtual world in real-time. This allows the player to perform tasks, such as walking across a room and picking up a key from a table, using natural movements. In contrast, a stationary VR experience might have the player navigate across the room using a joystick or other input device. The

HTC Vive VIVE, sometimes referred to as HTC Vive, is a virtual reality brand of HTC Corporation. It consists of hardware like its titular virtual reality headsets and accessories, virtual reality software and services, and initiatives that promote appl ...

virtual-reality system incorporates room-scale tracking in its core design, using two infrared tracking stations located in opposite corners of the room to monitor the movement of the player. The

Oculus Rift Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a division of Meta Platforms, released on March 28, 2016. In 2012 Oculus initiated a Kickstarter campaign to fund the Rift's development, af ...

VR system was introduced primarily for front facing 180 degree experiences. However, Oculus now supports two sensor diagonal placement roomscale or users can purchase a third sensor to enable more robust room-scale tracking,

Criticism

Room-scale experiences require a large amount of empty space for the player to walk around without the risk of bumping into real-life obstacles. In a typical home, this can require an entire room to be dedicated solely to room-scale VR, which may not be practical in a small home or apartment. Since the amount of space available in a room-scale setup will vary from location to location, developers cannot assume a fixed play space, and users' experiences may vary depending on the amount of space they have available.

References

{{Mixed reality Virtual reality