KAT Walk C 2

KAT Walk C 2
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	VR Treadmill
Subtype	Omnidirectional treadmill
Platform	SteamVR, PlayStation VR, Meta Quest (via adapter)
Creator	KAT VR
Developer	KAT VR
Manufacturer	KAT VR
Announcement Date	May 2022
Release Date	Q3 2022 (C2+ September 2022)
Price	Kickstarter from $698; retail C2 $1,299 / C2+ $1,499
Website	https://www.kat-vr.com
Versions	KAT Walk C2, KAT Walk C2+, KAT Walk C2 Core
Requires	PC VR headset, PlayStation VR or Meta Quest (via adapter), free-locomotion VR game
Predecessor	KAT Walk C
Successor	None announced
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	Optical foot-mounted sensors on dedicated shoes (2 foot sensors + 1 direction sensor)
Tracking Frequency	Latency under 10 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 (360-degree 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
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	Platform diameter 940 mm; total height about 1,585 mm; footprint about 1.23 m²
Weight	54 kg (about 119 lb)
Material	Metal frame, low-friction concave base plate
Headstrap	N/A
Haptics	Integrated haptic feedback module (C2+ only)
Color	Black
Sensors	Optical foot sensors in included shoes, plus direction sensor
Input	Natural walking, running, jumping, crouching, leaning and strafing in place
Compliance	User weight limit 130 kg (286 lb); user height 1.55-2.00 m

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The KAT Walk C 2, styled by its maker as the KAT Walk C2, is a personal virtual reality omnidirectional treadmill developed by the Chinese company KAT VR. It is the second generation of the company's home-focused treadmill line and the direct successor to the KAT Walk C. Announced through a Kickstarter campaign that launched on May 14, 2022, the C2 lets a player walk, run, jump, crouch, lean and strafe in any direction inside a VR game while physically staying in one place. As with the original, the user stands on a low-friction concave dish, wears a pair of dedicated low-grip shoes fitted with optical sensors, and is held centered by a rear support arm and a body harness. KAT VR positioned the C2 as a refined, more capable home unit with improved foot tracking, redesigned shoes and broader platform support, including Meta Quest alongside PC VR and PlayStation VR.

The line is offered in several variants: the base KAT Walk C2, the higher-tier KAT Walk C2+ (which adds an integrated haptic feedback module and a sitting-posture module), and a later, lower-cost KAT Walk C2 Core.

Concept and locomotion

Like the KAT Walk C before it, the C2 addresses one of the persistent problems in virtual reality: how to let a player move naturally through a large virtual world while confined to a small physical space. Instead of relying on artificial locomotion such as thumbstick movement or teleportation, which can break immersion or cause motion sickness, the treadmill captures the user's actual stepping motion and feeds it into the game as movement.

The device consists of a concave dish that the player stands on while wearing a special pair of low-friction shoes, together with a harness that the player straps into. Because the shoe soles are slick and the dish curves inward, the feet slide back toward the center as the person attempts to walk forward, so the body stays in place while the legs perform a striding motion. A rear support arm and waist harness hold the user upright and centered, letting them lean, crouch, jump and run without falling. Optical sensors carried in the shoes read the speed and direction of each foot and translate it into in-game movement across a full 360 degrees. KAT VR describes the C2's foot tracking as 1:1 detection in 360 degrees and lists supported actions including walking, jogging, jumping, squatting, strafing and backing up. As with all such treadmills, reviewers note that the sliding-shoe mechanism produces a distinctive gliding sensation rather than true natural walking, but that it delivers a full range of free movement that seated or stationary input cannot.

Development and crowdfunding

KAT VR was already an established maker of VR locomotion hardware before the C2. The company launched its first omnidirectional treadmill, the KAT WALK, on Kickstarter in 2015 and later offered more compact models, then brought omnidirectional locomotion firmly into the home-enthusiast price range with the KAT Walk C, whose 2020 Kickstarter raised about $1.66 million. The C2 was developed as a second-generation home unit, keeping the same basic dish-and-harness concept while widening the supported range of motion, improving the accuracy of the foot tracking and redesigning the shoes for easier movement on the dish.

KAT VR returned to crowdfunding to launch the C2. The Kickstarter campaign went live at 7am Pacific Time on May 14, 2022 with a funding goal of $300,000, which the project surpassed within minutes of opening. Backing tiers for the base C2 began at $698 for the earliest limited "Super KATer" tier, followed by $798 and $898 early-bird tiers, with a $998 unlimited "Special Kickstarter Offer," each before shipping; selecting the C2+ instead of the base C2 added $200 to the chosen tier. The campaign passed $1 million within days and closed roughly a month later having raised $2,116,680 from 1,411 backers.

KAT VR planned to begin shipping to backers in Q3 2022, with units expected as early as July 2022; the C2+ variant reached release in September 2022. After the campaign the treadmill was sold directly through KAT VR and partner stores, with launch retail pricing quoted at $1,299 for the C2 and $1,499 for the C2+, though prices shifted over time and across regions. In 2023 the company expanded the line downward with the lower-cost KAT Walk C2 Core, which opened pre-orders in August 2023 from about $899.

Hardware and design

The KAT Walk C2 is a large standing unit. KAT VR lists the platform diameter at 940 mm and a total height of about 1,585 mm with the device assembled, while the platform itself stands roughly 230 mm tall. The device weighs about 54 kg, and its footprint is roughly 1.23 m² with the stabilizing feet in place. The frame supports a user weight of up to 130 kg (286 lb) and is rated for users from 1.55 m to 2.00 m tall, with a recommended height range of 1.60 m to 1.95 m and a waistline range of 620 mm to 1,300 mm.

Motion is captured by optical sensors built into the included shoes, which are a required part of the system: their low-friction soles are tuned to the concave base so the feet can slide as the user strides. KAT VR specifies a sensor configuration of two foot sensors plus one direction sensor, and quotes a tracking latency under 10 milliseconds, a distance accuracy of about 0.12 mm, full 360-degree 2D tracking, and a body-direction (decoupling) accuracy better than 0.3 degrees. These figures represent a refinement over the original KAT Walk C, whose foot sensors were quoted at a latency under 20 milliseconds.

Setup and tuning are handled through KAT VR's companion software, KAT Gateway, which runs on the connected PC and can also be adjusted from inside the headset so the player can change walking parameters without removing it. KAT VR also markets noise- and shock-reduction refinements on the C2 platform, citing a roughly 36.9 percent noise reduction from its "K-Quiet" treatment and an improvement in shock absorption.

Variants

KAT VR sells the second-generation treadmill in three configurations that share the same core locomotion system but differ in features and price.

Model	Distinguishing features	Indicative price
KAT Walk C2	Base model: concave dish, sensor shoes, support arm and harness, foot tracking	From $698 (Kickstarter); $1,299 retail at launch
KAT Walk C2+	Adds integrated haptic feedback module and smart sitting-posture module (folding seat for vehicle simulation), with a "VR vehicle hub"	+$200 over C2 on Kickstarter; $1,499 retail at launch
KAT Walk C2 Core	Later, lower-cost entry model introduced in 2023; omits the C2+ haptics and sitting module	From $899 (pre-orders from August 2023)

The defining additions of the C2+ are its integrated haptic feedback module, which adds step and contact vibration cues, and a smart sitting-posture module: a folding seat with automatic standing-or-sitting detection that enables seated vehicle simulation modes such as car, tank, horse and plane. The C2 Core, added in 2023, brought the same basic walking experience to a lower entry price while omitting the C2+ haptics and sitting module.

Compatibility

The KAT Walk C2 works as an independent locomotion controller, so it functions with VR games that support free-locomotion movement rather than requiring per-title integration. KAT VR lists support for SteamVR, Oculus Home and Meta Quest (the latter through the company's KAT Nexus adapter), and quotes compatibility with more than 3,000 games. Listed compatible headsets include the Meta Quest 2, Quest 3 and Quest Pro, the Oculus Rift and Rift S, the HTC Vive and Vive Pro, HTC Vive Cosmos, Pimax headsets, the Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality devices. PlayStation VR is also supported, and Quest connectivity over Link or Air Link was promoted at launch.

Reception

VR press treated the C2 as a notable iteration that pushed home omnidirectional treadmills further, and its Kickstarter, which exceeded the roughly $1.66 million raised by the original KAT Walk C, was read as continued strong consumer interest in room-independent locomotion. In a hands-on review of the C2+, PC Gamer described stepping onto the slippery dish in purpose-made shoes, strapping into the harness and then walking freely in VR, and reported that once in a game the system was fairly easy to learn and that moving through a virtual world felt liberating, a "brain deception" effect that worked when everything was set up correctly. The same caveats common to the category remained: the gliding rather than truly natural gait, the substantial size and weight of the unit, the setup overhead of the harness and shoes, and a price well above ordinary VR accessories.

Technical specifications

Specification	Detail
Type	Personal omnidirectional VR treadmill
Manufacturer	KAT VR
Announced	May 14, 2022 (Kickstarter)
Shipping	Q3 2022 (C2+ released September 2022)
Kickstarter result	$2,116,680 from 1,411 backers (goal $300,000)
Variants	KAT Walk C2, C2+, C2 Core
Price	From $698 (Kickstarter); C2 $1,299 / C2+ $1,499 retail at launch
Platform diameter	940 mm
Total height	About 1,585 mm
Footprint	About 1.23 m² (with stabilizing feet)
Weight	54 kg (about 119 lb)
User weight limit	130 kg (286 lb)
Supported user height	1.55-2.00 m (recommended 1.60-1.95 m)
Locomotion	Low-friction concave dish + dedicated sensor shoes + support arm and harness
Sensors	2 foot sensors + 1 direction sensor (optical, in shoes)
Tracking latency	Under 10 ms
Distance accuracy	About 0.12 mm
Direction (decoupling) accuracy	Better than 0.3 degrees
Software	KAT Gateway
Haptics	Integrated module (C2+ only)
Platforms	SteamVR, Oculus Home, PlayStation VR, Meta Quest (via KAT Nexus adapter); 3,000+ games
Predecessor	KAT Walk C

See also

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