KAT Walk C

KAT Walk C
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	VR Treadmill
Subtype	Omnidirectional treadmill
Platform	SteamVR, PlayStation VR
Creator	KAT VR
Developer	KAT VR
Manufacturer	KAT VR
Announcement Date	June 2020
Release Date	October 2020
Price	$999 (Kickstarter); $1,699 retail
Website	https://www.kat-vr.com
Versions	KAT Walk C
Requires	PC VR headset or PlayStation VR (via adapter), free-locomotion VR game
Predecessor	KAT Walk Mini (see KAT WALK)
Successor	KAT Walk C2
System
Operating System	N/A
Chipset	N/A
CPU	N/A
GPU	N/A
Storage
Storage	N/A
Memory	N/A
SD Card Slot	No
Display
Display	N/A
Resolution	N/A
Refresh Rate	N/A
Image
Field of View	N/A
Horizontal FoV	N/A
Vertical FoV	N/A
Optics
Optics	N/A
Ocularity	N/A
IPD Range	N/A
Adjustable Diopter	N/A
Passthrough	N/A
Tracking
Tracking	Foot-mounted optical sensors on dedicated shoes
Tracking Frequency	Sensor latency under 20 ms
Base Stations	Not required (headset uses its own tracking)
Eye Tracking	N/A
Face Tracking	N/A
Hand Tracking	N/A
Body Tracking	Foot/lower-body motion (locomotion only)
Rotational Tracking	Yes (in-game heading from foot direction)
Positional Tracking	N/A
Play Space	Fixed position (user stays centered)
Audio
Audio	N/A
Microphone	N/A
Camera	N/A
Connectivity
Connectivity	Wireless sensor link to PC; 3 m signal range
Ports	USB
WiFi	N/A
Bluetooth	N/A
Power	Mains powered
Battery Capacity	N/A
Battery Life	N/A
Charge Time	N/A
Device
Dimensions	Height 1415 mm or 1525 mm; footprint 0.69 m² (1.54 m² with stabilizing feet)
Weight	58 kg (about 128 lb)
Material	Metal frame, low-friction concave base plate
Headstrap	N/A
Haptics	Optional Haptic Feedback Module (Kickstarter stretch goal)
Color	Black
Sensors	Foot-mounted motion sensors (included shoes)
Input	Natural walking, running, crouching and strafing in place
Compliance	User weight limit 130 kg; user height 1.65-1.95 m (rod dependent)

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The KAT Walk C is a personal virtual reality omnidirectional treadmill developed by the Chinese company KAT VR. Announced in June 2020 and shipped to its first backers in October 2020, the KAT Walk C lets a player walk, run, crouch and strafe in any direction inside a VR game while physically remaining in one spot. The user stands on a low-friction concave platform, wears a pair of dedicated slippery-soled shoes fitted with motion sensors, and is held centered by a rear-mounted vertical support harness. KAT VR marketed it as the first omnidirectional treadmill designed specifically for home consumers and gamers, positioning it as a smaller and far cheaper alternative to the company's earlier enterprise-grade models. The device works as an independent input controller with any VR game that supports free locomotion, and is compatible with major PC VR headsets as well as PlayStation VR via an adapter.

Concept and locomotion

The KAT Walk C addresses one of the long-standing problems in virtual reality: how to let a player move through a large virtual world while confined to a small physical room. Rather than relying on artificial locomotion (such as thumbstick movement or teleportation), which can break immersion or trigger motion sickness, the treadmill captures the user's actual leg movement.

The system uses what KAT VR describes as a low-friction parabolic, or concave, base. The user wears specially designed shoes whose slick soles allow the feet to slide back along the dish as the person attempts to walk forward, so the body stays centered while the legs perform a natural striding motion. A vertical support rod mounted at the rear holds the player in place through a waist harness, letting them lean, crouch and walk, run or strafe without falling. Sensors mounted in the shoes read the speed and direction of each foot and translate that into movement inside the game. Reviewers have noted that the result feels less like real walking and more like a distinct gliding or pushing motion, since the feet slide rather than grip, but that it nonetheless provides a full 360-degree range of in-game movement that seated or stationary locomotion cannot.

Development and crowdfunding

KAT VR was already an established maker of VR locomotion hardware before the C. The company first reached the public through a 2015 Kickstarter campaign for its original Kat Walk treadmill, and in 2018 it offered the Kat Walk Mini, a more compact model that cost around $1,500 even with early-bird pricing. The KAT Walk C was conceived as a slimmed-down, gamer-focused successor aimed squarely at the home market rather than at arcades or enterprise installations.

KAT VR returned to crowdfunding to launch the C. The Kickstarter campaign went live on June 21, 2020 with a modest funding goal of $100,000. The project broke past the $1 million mark within roughly a day of launching, far exceeding its target. It passed $1.2 million during its run and ultimately closed at the end of July 2020 having raised $1,667,295 from 1,397 backers.

Backer pricing was tiered, beginning at $699 for the earliest limited "Super KATer" tier, then $799 and $899 for later early-bird tiers, with a $999 special Kickstarter price once the early tiers sold out. The campaign cleared all of its stretch goals; a notable one, hit at the $1.5 million level, added a Haptic Feedback Module built into the platform's base intended to add vibration cues as players walk. Production began in September 2020, with the first units shipping to backers in October 2020. After the campaign the unit was sold at retail; the marketplace Knoxlabs later listed the KAT Walk C (Version 1) at $1,699.99.

Hardware and design

The KAT Walk C is a large, standing unit. It measures roughly 1,415 mm to 1,525 mm tall depending on configuration and weighs about 58 kg (around 128 lb). Its base footprint is about 0.69 m² (roughly 7.4 square feet), expanding to about 1.54 m² (roughly 16.6 square feet) when the stabilizing feet are extended. The frame supports a user weight of up to 130 kg.

Because the support rod and shoes must fit the user, KAT VR supplied the unit in different sizes. The standard supporting rod suits users from about 1.65 m to 1.8 m tall, while a large rod accommodates users from about 1.81 m to 1.95 m. The included shoes are a required part of the system: they have anti-slip securing straps, a breathable upper, and a low-friction sole tuned to the concave base. The foot sensors report movement with a latency under 20 milliseconds and communicate over a wireless link with a signal range of about 3 meters.

Setup and adjustment are handled through KAT VR's companion software, called KAT Gateway, which runs on the connected PC and can also be reached from inside the headset so the player can tune walking parameters without removing it.

Compatibility

The KAT Walk C functions as a standalone locomotion controller and works with any SteamVR title that offers a free-locomotion movement setting, rather than requiring per-game integration. KAT VR and retailers list compatibility with a broad range of PC VR headsets, including the Valve Index, HTC Vive and HTC Vive Pro, the Oculus Rift and Rift S, Oculus Quest (over Oculus Link), Pimax headsets, and Windows Mixed Reality devices such as the HP Reverb G2. PlayStation VR is supported through a separate adapter. Frequently cited compatible games include full free-locomotion titles such as Half-Life: Alyx, Skyrim VR and Fallout 4 VR.

Reception

Coverage from VR press treated the KAT Walk C as a meaningful attempt to bring omnidirectional treadmills, previously a niche and expensive enterprise product, into the price range of enthusiast home users. Outlets including Road to VR and UploadVR followed the campaign closely and noted both the unusually strong crowdfunding result and the persistent caveat common to all such treadmills: the sliding-shoe mechanism produces a gliding sensation rather than true natural walking, and the device remains bulky, heavy and comparatively costly. Even so, the product's success on Kickstarter, well over sixteen times its goal, demonstrated significant consumer appetite for room-independent VR locomotion and set the stage for KAT VR's follow-up model.

Successor

KAT VR followed the C with the KAT Walk C2, announced through a Kickstarter campaign that launched in May 2022. The C2 refined the original with an improved walking solution for greater stability, custom-friction shoes offering multiple friction levels, and broader cross-platform support, while a higher tier called the KAT Walk C2+ added an integrated haptic feedback system and a sitting-posture module. The C2 launched at US$998, with the C2+ at US$1,198.

Technical specifications

Specification	Detail
Type	Personal omnidirectional VR treadmill
Manufacturer	KAT VR
Announced	June 2020 (Kickstarter)
Shipped	October 2020
Kickstarter result	$1,667,295 from 1,397 backers (goal $100,000)
Price	$699-$999 (Kickstarter tiers); $1,699 retail
Height	1,415 mm / 1,525 mm
Footprint	0.69 m² (1.54 m² with stabilizing feet)
Weight	58 kg (about 128 lb)
User weight limit	130 kg
Recommended user height	1.65-1.95 m (rod size dependent)
Locomotion	Low-friction concave base + dedicated sensor shoes + waist harness
Sensor latency	Under 20 ms
Signal range	3 m
Software	KAT Gateway
Headset support	Valve Index, HTC Vive / Vive Pro, Oculus Rift / Rift S / Quest (Link), Pimax, Windows Mixed Reality; PlayStation VR via adapter
Successor	KAT Walk C2

See also

• KAT VR
• KAT WALK
• Virtuix Omni
• Omnideck
• Locomotion Methods
• SteamVR