Virtuality 1000SD

The Virtuality 1000SD was a sit-down virtual reality arcade system produced by Virtuality Group plc (originally W Industries), released in 1991 as part of the groundbreaking 1000 series. The "SD" designation stood for "Sit Down," distinguishing it from its stand-up counterpart, the 1000CS (CyberSpace). At a cost of £20,000-£30,000 (approximately $60,000 USD), it was one of the first mass-produced, networked VR entertainment systems available to the public.

Virtuality 1000SD
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	Virtual Reality Arcade System
Subtype	Sit-down Pod, Vintage VR
Platform	Virtuality
Creator	Dr. Jonathan D. Waldern
Developer	W Industries (later Virtuality Group plc)
Manufacturer	Virtuality Group plc
Announcement Date	October 1990
Release Date	1991
Price	£20,000 - £30,000 (UK), $60,000 (US)
Versions	1000SD-01, 1000SD-02
Requires	Arcade installation, dedicated attendant
Predecessor	Virtuality 1000SU prototype
Successor	Virtuality 2000SD
System
Operating System	AmigaOS 2.0
Chipset	Dual Texas Instruments TMS34020 with TMS34082 FPU
CPU	Motorola 68030 @ 25 MHz (Amiga 3000)
GPU	Custom graphics accelerator cards (x2)
Storage
Storage	600 MB SCSI-1 CD-ROM
Memory	4 MB Fast RAM, 2 MB Chip RAM
SD Card Slot	No
Display
Display	Dual 1.0-inch LCD (Panasonic)
Resolution	372x250 per eye (276x372 according to some sources)
Refresh Rate	20 Hz (20 FPS)
Image
Field of View	71° diagonal
Horizontal FoV	60°
Vertical FoV	47°
Optics
Optics	Mirror-reflected Planar lenses
Ocularity	Binocular stereoscopic 3D
IPD Range	55-72 mm (manual slider adjustment)
Tracking
Tracking	6 DoF DC magnetic (Ascension Technology Bird)
Base Stations	Overhead mounted magnetic transmitter
Eye Tracking	No
Face Tracking	No
Hand Tracking	Yes (via Space Joystick magnetic tracking)
Body Tracking	No
Rotational Tracking	Yes (3 DoF)
Positional Tracking	Yes (limited to pod area)
Tracking Volume	Seated position within pod
Play Space	Seated position (1.20m W × 1.45m L × 1.65m H)
Audio
Audio	Four built-in speakers, integrated stereo headphones
Microphone	Yes
Camera	No
Connectivity
Connectivity	Networked multiplayer capability, proprietary wired connection
Ports	CGA/RGBVS video output
Wired Video	Yes
Power	240V AC mains power, 750W maximum
Device
Dimensions	Pod: 1.20m W × 1.45m L × 1.65m H
Weight	320 kg (complete pod), 640g (Visette HMD without cable)
Material	Metal frame, molded plastic shell
Headstrap	Adjustable
Haptics	No
Color	Red with "VIRTUALITY" embossing
Sensors	DC magnetic tracking sensors
Input	Twin analogue "Space Joysticks", steering wheel, or aircraft yoke (game-dependent)

History

Development

The Virtuality 1000 series evolved from research conducted by Dr. Jonathan D. Waldern at the Human Computer Interface Research Unit of Leicester Polytechnic (now De Montfort University). By 1986, Waldern had produced a system known as the "Roaming Caterpillar" that could deliver a stereoscopic view of a three-dimensional scene.

Waldern subsequently formed W Industries in October 1987 to commercialise 3D visualisation technology together with colleagues Al Humrich, Richard Holmes and Terry Rowley. The team produced multiple prototype VR units, with a fifth prototype version being produced by 1989 that would form the basis of the first commercially released Virtuality system. W Industries later changed its name to Virtuality Group plc on September 1, 1993.

Commercial Launch

The Virtuality 1000SU VR system prototype was first shown at the Computer Graphics '90 exhibition held at Alexandra Palace in London. The commercial versions, including the 1000SD and 1000CS models, were officially announced in October 1990 and released in arcades in 1991, during what was one of the biggest years the amusement arcades would ever see. The sit-down 1000SD was specifically targeted at flight simulation and driving titles that required fixed seating.

Market Position and Distribution

The 1000SD was positioned as a slightly cheaper alternative to the stand-up 1000CS model. However, "slightly cheaper" is a term used under strong advisement, as compared to the usual price of between £2,000 and £10,000 for a contemporary arcade machine, Virtuality units cost between £20,000 and £30,000 per pod in the UK market. This was before the added expense of having to pay for an attendant to help people in and out of the machine, hook up the Visette Head Mounted Display, and deal with player confusion.

Hundreds of pods were shipped to various locations including:

• Sega-owned "VR Centres"
• Aladdin's Castle venues in the United States
• Trocadero in London
• Various shopping malls and arcades worldwide

By 1994, Virtuality reported over 1,200 networked 1000-series machines operating worldwide.

Technical Specifications

Computer System

The 1000SD was powered by a modified Commodore Amiga 3000 (known as the Exapality 2000) with:

• Motorola 68030 CPU running at 25 MHz
• 4 MB of Fast RAM, 2 MB Chip RAM
• 600 MB SCSI-1 CD-ROM drive for game media
• Dual graphics accelerators based around the Texas Instruments TMS34020 chips with a TMS34082 floating point co-processor

Each graphics card could deliver about 40 Mflops with a capability to render 30,000 polygons/s at 20 FPS.

Visette 1 Head-Mounted Display

The 1000 series headset (called the "Visette 1") featured:

Specification	Value
Display Technology	Dual 1.0-inch LCD screens (Panasonic)
Resolution	372x250 per eye (some sources cite 276x372)
Refresh Rate	20 Hz (progressive scan)
Field of View	60° horizontal × 47° vertical (71° diagonal)
Optics	Side-mounted LCDs reflected via mirrors into planar lenses
Weight	~640g (without cable)
IPD Adjustment	55-72mm (manual slider)

The screens were positioned either side of the headset and reflected with mirrors into the lenses, as they were too heavy to be positioned directly in front of the user's eyes. The total display output was in CGA/RGBVS format.

Tracking System

The 1000SD employed a DC magnetic tracking system from Ascension Technology (the "Bird"), mounted on an overhead bar that kept the transmitter close to the visor. This differed from the 1000CS version which featured 6DoF AC magnetic tracking delivered by a Polhemus Fastrak unit embedded in the waist height ring. The system provided:

• Full rotational tracking (3 DoF: pitch, yaw, roll)
• Positional tracking (3 DoF: x, y, z) within the seated area
• Magnetic tracking of hand controllers ("Space Joysticks")

Physical Specifications

• Pod Dimensions: 1.20m W × 1.45m L × 1.65m H
• Total Weight: 320 kg (complete pod)
• Power Requirements: 240V AC, 750W maximum
• Shell Design: Bright red molded plastic with "VIRTUALITY" embossing

Games Library

The 1000SD supported eight titles specifically designed for the sit-down format, plus compatibility with some stand-up games:

Game Title	Genre	Year	Description
Battlesphere	Space combat	1992	Two-player zero-gravity dogfight in arenas
Exorex	Mech shooter	1993	Robot warrior combat (known as "Heavy Metal" during testing)
Total Destruction	Stock car racing	1993	First VR demolition derby game
VTOL	Flight simulator	1992	Harrier Jump Jet landing challenge simulator
Flying Aces	Biplane dogfight	1992	Early 3D aerial combat experience
Shoot for Loot	Light-gun gallery	1994	Prototype using tethered rifle controller
Ghost Train	Rail shooter	1994	On-rails mine-cart horror ride
Sphere	Tank CTF	1993	Multiplayer capture-the-flag arena

Additional games from the stand-up library that could be played seated included:

• Dactyl Nightmare - Multiplayer arena combat with pterodactyl enemies
• Grid Busters - Robot shoot-em-up
• Hero - Locked door puzzle game
• Legend Quest - Fantasy adventure

Input Devices

The 1000SD supported multiple input configurations depending on the game:

• Twin analogue "Space Joysticks" - Magnetically tracked controllers for most games
• Steering wheel - For racing games like Total Destruction
• Aircraft yoke - For flight simulators like VTOL and Flying Aces
• Light gun - For shooting gallery games (prototype only)

The Space Joystick featured a button for forward movement, with the joystick's position controlling the virtual hand's orientation in 3D space.

Technical Limitations

Despite being powered by one of the most powerful consumer PCs of the era, the Virtuality 1000SD had significant limitations:

• The hardware could render only up to 30,000 polygons at 20 frames per second
• The 20 Hz refresh rate was far below what would later be considered necessary for smooth VR (60+ Hz minimum)
• Low resolution of 372x250 per eye resulted in highly pixelated visuals
• The world consisted of flat shaded polygons and simple geometry
• Motion sickness was a common issue due to low frame rates and joystick-based locomotion
• High latency between head movement and display update

Network Capabilities

The first two networked VR systems were sold to British Telecom Research Laboratories to experiment with networked telepresence applications. The system supported multiplayer gaming through proprietary networking, allowing up to four players in different pods to interact in the same virtual environment. This was revolutionary for the time and predated internet-based multiplayer gaming.

Commercial Applications

Beyond arcade gaming, Virtuality 1000SD units were sold to corporations for various applications:

• Ford - Vehicle design visualization
• IBM - Data visualization research
• Mitsubishi - Industrial training simulations
• British Telecom - Telepresence experiments
• Olin Corporation - Chemical engineering simulations

Legacy and Impact

Industry Influence

The Virtuality 1000SD was instrumental in:

• Establishing the concept of location-based VR entertainment (LBVE)
• Pioneering networked multiplayer VR gaming
• Demonstrating both the potential and limitations of early VR technology
• Inspiring design patterns for modern VR arcade systems including attendant-assisted onboarding

Company Fate

At its peak in the mid-1990s, Virtuality Group plc was valued at over £90 million and was the undisputed leader in the arcade virtual reality business. However, the company faced significant challenges:

• Declining arcade revenues in the late 1990s
• Failed attempts to enter the home VR market
• High maintenance costs and technical support requirements

Virtuality Group declared bankruptcy in 1997. Its assets were subsequently acquired by:

• Cybermind Interactive Europe (1997)
• Arcadian VR (2004)
• VirtuosityTech (2012)

Preservation and Restoration

Due to the age and complexity of the systems, restoration of Virtuality 1000SD units presents significant challenges. Common issues include:

• Dead Amiga computers requiring motherboard replacement
• HDD failures (often replaced with CF cards via SCSI to IDE adapters)
• LCD display degradation
• Joystick potentiometer failures
• Sound system component failures
• Magnetic tracking system calibration issues

Notable preservation efforts include:

• The Retro Computer Museum in Leicester, UK maintains working Virtuality machines
• Private collectors have restored units for retro gaming events
• VirtuosityTech announced plans to port classic Virtuality games to modern VR platforms

Cultural Impact

The distinctive red pod design of the 1000SD became an icon of 1990s VR culture, appearing in:

• Contemporary media coverage of virtual reality
• Films and television shows depicting futuristic technology
• Museum exhibitions on the history of gaming and VR

The system helped popularize VR during the early 1990s VR craze, coinciding with films like The Lawnmower Man (1992) which featured similar-looking VR technology.

See Also

• Virtuality 1000CS
• Virtuality 2000SD
• Virtuality SU2000
• Amiga 3000
• Virtual reality
• Virtual reality headset
• History of virtual reality
• 1990s in video gaming
• Location-based VR