KAT Loco

KAT Loco
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	Accessory
Subtype	Walking-in-place
Developer	KAT VR
Manufacturer	KAT VR
Announcement Date	June 2019 (KAT Loco); 20 November 2020 (KAT Loco S)
Release Date	2019 (KAT Loco); KAT Loco S sales opened 20 November 2020
Price	US$199 (KAT Loco); US$229 (KAT Loco S launch price, unchanged on KAT VR's store in October 2026)
Website	https://www.kat-vr.com/products/kat-loco-s
Versions	KAT Loco (2019), KAT Loco S (2020; sold in 2026 as "KAT loco S 2025")
Requires	A compatible VR headset and a game with free locomotion; PlayStation VR needs an additional adapter (KAT PiSystem)
Tracking
Tracking	Three wireless inertial sensors (two ankles, one waist)
Connectivity
Connectivity	Wireless, USB receiver
Bluetooth	4.2 (KAT Loco)
Battery Capacity	370 mAh per sensor (KAT Loco)
Battery Life	10 hours continuous use (KAT Loco); 7 hours (KAT Loco S)
Device
Dimensions	50 mm diameter x 24 mm per sensor (KAT Loco)
Weight	35 g per sensor (KAT Loco)
Material	ABS (KAT Loco sensors)
Sensors	Three wearable motion sensors
Input	Walking, running and stepping in place; backward steps, strafing and cruise control by foot position

KAT Loco is a wearable walking-in-place locomotion system for virtual reality made by the Chinese company KAT VR. It consists of three small wireless sensors, one strapped around each ankle and one clipped to the belt, that turn stepping on the spot into movement inside VR games, so the player does not have to steer with a thumbstick. KAT VR had previously made the KAT WALK omnidirectional treadmill, and press coverage of the Loco presented it as a smaller and cheaper option for home use than the company's treadmills.

The original KAT Loco was funded on Kickstarter in June and July 2019, raising US$182,581 from 1,379 backers against a US$50,000 goal. A second-generation model, the KAT Loco S, went on sale on 20 November 2020 at US$229, up from the US$199 price of the original. As of October 2026, KAT VR's online store lists the Loco S as "KAT loco S 2025 (Set of 3 Sensors)" at US$229.

Reviewed 15 October 2026. Kickstarter figures and dates, 2019 FAQ and archived spec sheet, New Atlas, UploadVR, VR Fitness Insider and Mogura VR claims, and the October 2026 KAT VR store and Nexus listings. About review dates.

Announcement and release

KAT VR announced the KAT Loco in June 2019. In a 17 June 2019 report, Mogura VR described the device as three wireless sensors worn on the legs and waist that recognize head and body movement independently, and listed Oculus Quest, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Windows Mixed Reality headsets and the Pimax series as compatible. VR Fitness Insider, covering the launch of the Kickstarter campaign on 10 June 2019, described the product as a way to reduce motion sickness from free locomotion and to let players move through large virtual spaces from a small play area.

The campaign ran for 40 days, from 10 June to 20 July 2019. New Atlas reported in mid-July, with five days left, that it had passed US$170,000 and that pledges started at US$119 per set, with shipping expected to begin in August 2019. KAT VR's campaign FAQ also gave August 2019 as the scheduled start of mass production and shipping. UploadVR later referred to the original Loco as having been released in 2019 at US$199.

KAT Loco Kickstarter campaign

Item	Figure
Funding period	10 June 2019 to 20 July 2019 (40 days)
Goal	US$50,000
Pledged	US$182,581
Backers	1,379
Lowest pledge for a sensor set	US$119

KAT VR introduced the KAT Loco S on 20 November 2020, with pre-order discounts of 20 percent until 27 November and 15 percent until 31 December 2020. VR Fitness Insider reported that the first shipments were planned for December 2020. The product listing on KAT VR's store now carries the name "KAT loco S 2025", and the store sells it alone or bundled with a UPAD Carpet and the KAT Nexus adapter.

Design and hardware

Both generations use three wireless sensors. The two foot sensors fasten around the ankles with Velcro straps and the third clips to the waist or belt; KAT VR said the sensors wake from standby automatically once they start moving. The player wears only the sensors and steps on the spot instead of walking on a treadmill.

KAT VR described the original Loco's tracking as "information fusion based inertial motion capture" with its own "K-KF" filtering algorithms, and claimed a motion latency of less than 20 ms. The company said the system works from real-time footstep data rather than reproducing the full pose of the legs, which it contrasted with HTC Vive's full-body tracking. The sensors connect over Bluetooth 4.2 to a USB receiver on the computer.

KAT Loco (2019) sensor specifications, as published by KAT VR

Parameter	Value
Weight	35 g (1.23 oz) each
Dimensions	50 mm (1.97 in) diameter x 24 mm (0.94 in)
Light	LED lights
Main material	ABS
Wireless	Bluetooth 4.2
Signal range	5 m
Receiver	USB 2.0 and above
Battery type	Lithium-ion polymer
Battery capacity	370 mAh
Battery life	10 h of continuous use, 150 hours on standby
Charging	Fast charging, 1 hour; 5 V, 0.5 A

The Loco S keeps the three-sensor layout. UploadVR reported that it has improved motion sensors and new resistance to magnetic interference, which KAT VR said would improve stability and make setup and calibration simpler. VR Fitness Insider listed enhanced motion sensors, new decoupling technology and easier calibration, and reported a standby time of 50 days. KAT VR's current product page states that the Loco S sensors need no initial magnetic set-up, that direction calibration takes about one second with a single button press, and that the battery lasts 7 hours.

Software and features

The player walks or runs in place to move forward, and stepping faster increases speed in games that support analog movement. Head and body directions are decoupled, so the player can look and aim in one direction while moving in another. Foot positions trigger the other movements:

Action	How it is triggered (KAT Loco)
Walk backward	Place one foot behind the other with the heel raised
Strafe	Place one foot to the side with the heel raised
Cruise control	Place one foot in front of the other with the toes raised; the character keeps moving without stepping

New Atlas described cruise control as holding one leg forward while steering with the hips. KAT VR said the heel and toe positions were chosen so that ordinary shifts of stance would not cause unwanted movement, and that "anti-interference" algorithms were meant to separate deliberate stepping from other motion. The system also supports room-scale play, so the user can crouch, jump, go prone or walk around the real room without switching modes.

Configuration runs through KAT VR's KAT Gateway software, which has a control panel reachable from the desktop or from inside the headset; it shows connection and battery status and lets the user adjust settings such as foot-tracking sensitivity and cruise control. For SteamVR games, KAT VR's "inSteam" plugin was meant to make the Loco compatible by default with any game that supports free locomotion, without integration work by the developer. KAT VR also published a software development kit with Unity and Unreal Engine plug-ins for developers who want native integration.

Compatibility

During the 2019 campaign KAT VR listed compatibility with PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro, Windows Mixed Reality headsets and Pimax headsets. Oculus Quest worked through streaming, with a native mode in development, and PlayStation VR needed an extra adapter called PiSystem. For PlayStation VR the company named free-locomotion games such as Skyrim VR and Resident Evil 7. Across SteamVR, PlayStation VR and Viveport it listed titles including Skyrim VR, Fallout 4 VR, Arizona Sunshine, Resident Evil 7, Pavlov, Rec Room and VRChat. The campaign FAQ described keyboard and gamepad modes for non-VR games as in development, and KAT VR's July 2019 product page listed them as features.

At the Loco S launch, UploadVR reported support for all major headsets, including Quest 2 for SteamVR content through Oculus Link or Virtual Desktop, PlayStation VR with an additional adapter, and a keyboard mode for non-VR games. KAT VR's store now offers the Loco S with an optional KAT Nexus adapter, which it describes as being for Meta Quest standalone use without a PC; the store prices the bundles at US$254 with the UPAD Carpet, US$328 with the Nexus adapter and US$353 with both. The product page claims compatibility with more than 250 VR games.

Reception

New Atlas noted that the Loco was a response to the KAT Walk treadmill being "too bulky for most living rooms" and expensive. VR Fitness Insider pointed out that cruise control lets the player move around large areas without stepping, and that players who want a workout would avoid that feature.

See also

• KAT VR
• KAT Walk C
• Walking-in-place
• Cybershoes
• Virtuix Omni
• Locomotion