KAT Walk C 2 Plus

KAT Walk C 2 Plus
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	Omnidirectional treadmill
Subtype	VR locomotion accessory
Platform	SteamVR, PC VR, PlayStation VR, Meta Quest (via KAT Nexus)
Creator	KAT VR
Developer	KAT VR
Manufacturer	KAT VR
Announcement Date	May 2022
Release Date	2022
Price	Around $1,200 (2022 launch); $1,598 MSRP (later revision)
Website	https://www.kat-vr.com/products/kat-walk-c-2-plus
Versions	KAT Walk C2, KAT Walk C2 Plus, KAT Walk C2 Core
Requires	Compatible PC VR or console VR headset
Predecessor	KAT Walk C
Successor	KAT Walk C2 Plus Enhanced (revision)
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 sensors (2 foot sensors, 1 direction sensor)
Base Stations	N/A
Eye Tracking	N/A
Face Tracking	N/A
Hand Tracking	N/A
Body Tracking	Foot position and body orientation
Rotational Tracking	Yes (direction sensor)
Positional Tracking	Foot tracking on platform
Audio
Audio	N/A
Microphone	N/A
Camera	N/A
Connectivity
Connectivity	USB 3.0 (3 m cable)
Ports	USB 3.0
WiFi	N/A
Bluetooth	N/A
Power	Mains powered, 110-240V
Battery Capacity	N/A
Battery Life	N/A
Charge Time	N/A
Device
Dimensions	940 mm platform diameter; 1.585 m total height; 230 mm platform height
Weight	54 kg (device)
Material	Aluminium alloy frame
Headstrap	N/A
Haptics	Integrated platform haptic feedback module
Color	Black
Sensors	2 foot sensors, 1 direction sensor
Input	Walking, running, jumping, crouching, strafing on a low-friction platform
Compliance	SteamVR compatible

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The KAT Walk C 2 Plus (styled KAT Walk C2+ or KAT Walk C2 Plus) is a consumer-grade omnidirectional treadmill for virtual reality, developed and manufactured by the Chinese company KAT VR. It is the premium configuration of the company's second-generation personal VR treadmill, the KAT Walk C2, which was announced in May 2022 and crowdfunded through a Kickstarter campaign that opened on May 14, 2022. An omnidirectional treadmill lets a standing user physically walk, run, jog, crouch, strafe and turn in any direction while remaining in place, translating those motions into in-game locomotion so that a player can move freely without the boundaries of a room-scale play space.

Like the rest of the C2 family, the device uses a concave, low-friction platform on which the user slides their feet, a waist-mounted harness on a vertical support pillar that keeps the wearer centred, and dedicated shoes whose soles carry optical sensors that report foot position to the host PC. The "Plus" model is distinguished from the base C2 and the cheaper C2 Core by two headline additions: an integrated platform haptic feedback module that vibrates the deck in response to in-game events, and an included folding fabric seat that lets the user sit on the treadmill for vehicle and driving sequences while the system automatically detects whether the player is standing or sitting. It is compatible with major PC VR and console VR ecosystems, including SteamVR, Oculus Home and PlayStation VR, with Meta Quest headsets supported through KAT VR's KAT Nexus wireless adapter.

History and development

KAT VR (Kuangshi Yuexiang, trading as KAT VR) is a virtual reality hardware company founded in China in 2013 that has specialised in omnidirectional treadmills since its first crowdfunded product, the original KAT WALK, in 2015. The C2 line followed the earlier KAT Walk C, the company's first treadmill aimed at home users rather than commercial arcades.

The KAT Walk C2 was unveiled in spring 2022, with TechRadar reporting on the platform on May 13, 2022, ahead of a Kickstarter campaign that launched on May 14, 2022 and was scheduled to begin shipping to backers in July 2022. The campaign offered the standard C2 to early backers from around $698, with the higher-specified C2 Plus positioned roughly $200 above the base model. KAT VR later sold the C2 Plus directly and through resellers such as Knoxlabs, and subsequently introduced a revised "Enhanced" version of the platform along with a stripped-down C2 Core model priced at $999.

Design and hardware

The KAT Walk C2 Plus is built around a dished, friction-reducing walking platform roughly 940 mm (about 31 inches) in diameter, mounted on a frame with a total height of about 1.585 m (5 feet 2 inches) and a platform surface height of 230 mm. The platform itself occupies a footprint of about 0.7 square metres, rising to roughly 1.23 square metres once the stabilising feet are extended, and the unit weighs approximately 54 kg. The treadmill draws mains power at 110-240 V and connects to the host computer over a single USB 3.0 cable about 3 metres long.

A user steps into the centre of the dish and is held in place by an adjustable waist harness attached to a single vertical support pillar at the rear, an "open" arrangement that leaves the arms and upper body free. KAT VR specifies that the platform supports users between roughly 1.55 m and 2.00 m tall (about 5 feet 1 inch to 6 feet 7 inches), with a recommended range of 1.60 m to 1.95 m, and a maximum user weight of 130 kg (286 lb). Supported waist sizes run from about 620 mm to 1,300 mm.

The accompanying shoes are central to how the system works: their soles carry the optical tracking sensors and a friction surface tuned to slide on the concave deck while still gripping enough for the user to push off and stop. KAT VR offers the footwear in a range of sizes (covering roughly US men's 3 through 14).

Foot tracking

Locomotion is captured by optical sensors built into the shoe soles together with a direction sensor on the harness, which KAT VR describes as two foot sensors and one direction sensor. The company quotes a tracking latency under 10 milliseconds and very fine distance resolution, with body-orientation accuracy of around 0.3 degrees, allowing the system to register walking, jogging, jumping, squatting, strafing and backward movement. Some titles additionally map the platform to swimming, flying or prone "lying down" movement when developers support those modes. The shoes' soles use a high-resolution optical pickup (KAT VR cites a sensor sampling figure of 1200 or higher) for what the company calls 1:1 detection of foot movement across a full 360 degrees.

Haptics and seated mode

The two features that set the C2 Plus apart from the base C2 and the C2 Core are its haptic feedback system and its included seat. An integrated haptic module vibrates the platform in time with the user's footsteps and can be driven by game events much like the rumble motors in a gamepad, so that explosions, heavy impacts or different terrain can be felt through the deck. KAT VR has described the effect as letting users feel events such as the tremor of an earthquake, a heavy footfall, or the blast of an explosion underfoot.

The Plus also ships with a folding fabric seat module that clips onto the treadmill, turning it into what KAT VR calls a multifunctional vehicle hub. The platform automatically detects whether the player is standing or sitting; in the seated state the haptics are repurposed to transmit the vibrations of cars, aircraft and other vehicles for driving and flying games, without obstructing the user's ability to stand back up and walk. On the cheaper C2 Core the sit module is an optional extra and the platform haptics and lighting are omitted; KAT VR also markets the C2 Core as a quieter, more easily relocated design in its later revisions.

Compatibility

The KAT Walk C2 Plus is designed to work across most major VR ecosystems rather than being tied to a single headset. KAT VR lists support for SteamVR and Oculus Home on PC, covering headsets such as the Valve Index, HTC Vive and Vive Pro, Oculus Rift and Rift S, Pimax models, the HTC Vive Cosmos and Windows Mixed Reality devices. PlayStation VR was supported at launch, making the C2 one of relatively few consumer treadmills to advertise console compatibility. Standalone Meta Quest headsets (Quest 2, Quest 3 and Quest Pro) are supported through KAT VR's KAT Nexus adapter, which streams the foot-tracking data to the headset; at the C2's announcement KAT VR indicated that full Quest support would follow the initial PC and PlayStation release.

The treadmill presents its motion to games through KAT VR's own software and SDK, which can feed locomotion into SteamVR titles natively or emulate gamepad and keyboard input for games without native support.

Reception

The KAT Walk C2 line was covered by mainstream and VR-focused outlets at its 2022 announcement, with TechRadar framing it as a way to "really feel the VR burn" through physical movement and comparing its appearance to the treadmill in the film Ready Player One, and the German XR site MIXED highlighting its cross-platform PSVR, PC VR and Quest support. PC Gamer also published a hands-on review of the C2 Plus. As with omnidirectional treadmills generally, the category trades a large physical footprint, a high price and a learning curve in the sliding gait against the benefit of natural, boundary-free movement in VR.

Specifications

Specification	Detail
Type	Consumer omnidirectional VR treadmill
Manufacturer	KAT VR
Announced	May 2022
Platform diameter	~940 mm (31 in)
Total height	~1.585 m (5 ft 2 in)
Platform height	230 mm
Footprint	~0.7 m² platform; ~1.23 m² with stabilising feet
Device weight	~54 kg
Supported user height	1.55 m - 2.00 m (recommended 1.60 m - 1.95 m)
Supported user weight	Up to 130 kg (286 lb)
Tracking	Optical foot sensors (2 foot, 1 direction); latency <10 ms
Haptics	Integrated platform haptic feedback module
Seat	Included folding seat for seated / vehicle mode
Power	110-240 V mains
Connection	USB 3.0 (3 m cable)
Headset support	SteamVR, Oculus Home, PlayStation VR; Meta Quest via KAT Nexus

See also

• KAT VR
• KAT WALK
• Omnidirectional treadmill
• Virtuix Omni
• Omnideck
• Locomotion