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How do you set up a VR Space?

Do you want to start a VR arcade, fill a business space with VR or just make a good setup for your VR system? Then we are happy to help you on your way! In this blog we explain how you can best place your VR equipment and we give some handy tips on how to do this.

Setting up a VR room does not have to be difficult at all, but you do have to know what you are doing!

In what ways can you organize a VR room?

1. Standing only

The easiest way to get VR working is the 'standing only' setup. To do this, connect the VR headset to the Computer, make sure there is at least 1 x 1 m of free space and you can start with your VR games. For example, standing-only can also be used when you sit on a chair behind you Computer to play VR.

2. Room scale

A room-scale set-up is already deviating more from a professional set-up. Room-scale means that you are no longer stationary in one place, but that you can move with up the Headset. For a room-scale setup, you have a minimum space of 2.5 x 2.5 m and a maximum space of 5 x 5 m (HTC VIVE) or 10 x 10 m (HTC VIVE Pro ). If you want to use multiple room-scale rooms as a VR arcade, you can build a 'cubicle'. This is a separate area of approximately 3 x 3 m where players can play in their own room.

3. Free roam

The ultimate way to experience VR is a free-roam setup. The free-roam setup is actually the same as a room-scale setup, but completely wireless! You can fill a 10m x 10m space with up to 3 HTC VIVE or VIVE Pro headsets. Each wireless Headset can move freely in a 3m x 3m area. This way you can use 3 spots of 3m x 3m to let 3 players walk around at the same time.

How does the VR tracking work?

The tracking of your Headset and Controllers determines the overall user experience. It is therefore good to know what types of tracking systems there are and how these systems work. In general, you can make the biggest distinction between inside-out tracking and outside-in tracking. A VR headset that uses inside-out tracking, for example the Samsung Odyssey+, has a camera in the Headset. This camera looks at the entire room and can give an accurate estimate of where the Headset and the Controllers are based on the room. The advantage of this is that setting up the Headset is much easier (after all, you don't need to set up external sensors), but the disadvantage is that the tracking is less accurate.

VR headsets with external sensors use outside-in tracking. This form of tracking is more popular with VR headsets playing in a large room, or wanting a more accurate tracking. It is therefore also advisable to use external tracking systems in a VR arcade, such as the HTC VIVE Pro.

The most used tracking system for professional users are the sensors from HTC VIVE: the base stations 1.0 and base stations 2.0. The base stations 1.0 - also known as lighthouses 1.0 - are the original tracking systems of the HTC VIVE. These base stations work on the basis of the emission of a 'laser beam'. This beam is received by the sensors on the Headset and Controllers, so that the base stations know exactly where you are in space. Please note, because more than two base stations 1.0 cannot with work together. You can set up a space of 5 x 5 m with the base stations 1.0.

The base stations 2.0 - also called SteamVR tracking 2.0 - work slightly differently than its predecessor. It is with these base stations also possible to hang several in one room! This allows you to expand the play area to no less than 10 x 10 m! Unfortunately it is not possible to purchase the base stations 2.0 separately, these can currently only be ordered via a new HTC VIVE Pro Full Kit.

How do you place the tracking sensors?

The ideal placement of the base stations and sensors are located opposite each other in the two corners of the play area. The base stations should be suspended at a height of approximately 2 meters, and point downwards at an oblique angle. You can choose to drill the base stations into the wall, so that they are firmly attached and can no longer move. But for a mobile set-up it is more convenient to put the base stations on a tripod. An alternative to the tripods is to place them on a mounting clamp, but for this you need a place where you can hang the clamps.

Tip: when you use 'cubicles' as a VR arcade, truss systems can offer a good solution for your setup. The mounting clamps are easy to attach to the truss system, allowing you to create an ideal arcade setup.

HTC

How can you best hang the TV screen?

Monitors and Computers must be kept at a safe distance. Especially when someone is playing room-scale or free-roam, you should avoid hitting the screen or the Computer at all times. Not only because it is a waste of your equipment, but also because the player gets an unsafe feeling when he or she touches something. The screen does not apply to the player, but it does have a great added value for the spectators. After all, nothing is more fun to see your friend or colleague absorbed in the virtual world! The best placement in front of the television is therefore in a place where the player cannot reach it, for example on the outside of the playing field. At that location, the screen is clearly visible to spectators, and there is little or no chance that the player accidentally hits the screen.

Where do you place the computer?

Your Computer is perhaps even more important than the screen. After all, this is where the game is played, so without Computer the VR headset will not work. Therefore, always place the Computer somewhere where there is no risk of being bumped into or kicked. Preferably, you hang the Computer as high as possible, so that no players or spectators can sit on it.

Are you going for a wired or a wireless setup?

VR is still evolving, and new developments keep coming in this area. One such new development is the wireless VR. You replace with a wireless setup your cables with an adapter that you click on the VR headset. As a result, you no longer have a cable to the Computer, but only a short cable to your adapter. As a player you are therefore no longer tied to a cable that rises above your head, which gives a very unique experience. This also presents a number of new problems. For example, the player no longer has any orientation where he or she is in the room, so you have to be extra careful not to get close to the walls. In addition, a wireless setup can cause problems with the connection. After all, cabling is more reliable than wireless. This is why we always recommend VR arcades - when you start with VR - to start wired. Then you have the certainty that the VR headset works well, and when you start playing wirelessly, you can always rely on the cabling. This way you always have a working VR setup! For the cabling we recommend a cable management system to run the cables over the ceiling.

HTC VIVE indicates that a wireless free-roam can be a maximum of 6 x 6 m. However, if you use multiple base stations 2.0 and the antenna of the wireless set-up is well distributed; you can expand this space to a wireless free-roam space of 10 x 10 m. You can place up to 3 HTC VIVE or VIVE Pro headsets in a room. This has to do with with the connection mode. So always check in the settings of the VIVE Wireless App whether the Headset is in the correct mode.

Can you also play with multiple players at the same time?

Depending on the number of users, you can fill a 5m x 5m space or a 10m x 10m space with HTC wireless VIVE Pro headsets. You can do this by suspending and aligning four of the base stations (2.0). For maximum coverage, it is recommended to hang the base stations just after the center of the straight, rather than in the corners. This gives you maximum coverage of the stations.

It is also important that you set each (wireless) Headset to a different mode. You can do this by going to the setting in the VIVE Wireless App and then changing the 'connection mode'. You can choose from mode 1, mode 2 and mode 3. If you don't do this, you will notice that when you try to link a second Headset; the first Headset fails. It is also strongly recommended to give each wireless user their own 'wireless' space of approximately 3m x3m. This prevents players from running through and against each other, and HTC guarantees the best wireless coverage.

HTC

Other tips and tricks for setting up a Virtual Reality room

  • Make sure there is as little reflection in the room as possible. Reflection can affect the base stations, preventing them from performing tracking properly. Think of reflection from television screens, windows and other shiny surfaces.
  • Have the player walk on a separate type of ground. When someone wears a VR headset, they have no idea where they are. By giving the 'playing area' a different type of material (for example rubber), the player can feel where he or she is approximately based on the ground. This gives a safe feeling.
  • Get inspired by other VR arcades! Check out our list with examples that have their own unique style.

Professional installation by Unbound XR

Do you need professional advice after reading this article? Then you can contact with us. You can make an appointment with with us to have an 'inspection' carried out at your location. This has the following benefits for your company:

  • We will visit you personally;
  • We map out the necessary VR equipment for you;
  • We think with you to fill the space;
  • We conclude with a concrete appointment for a tailor-made offer.

More Information about installation and our rates? click on this link to go to our Information page.

Diederik Hermsen- XR Product Specialist

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