The ‘Motorverse’ comes to any vehicle
Extended reality in-vehicle entertainment specialist holoride has announced the release of a compact device that brings the company’s unique platform – which combines VR games with real vehicle data – to vehicles of any make, model, or year. Roughly the size of a smart speaker, the holoride retrofit, says the company, makes good on its core mission of turning every car into a holoride-ready vehicle.
“The release of our holoride retrofit kicks off a new chapter in holoride’s journey,” says Nils Wollny, CEO and co-founder of holoride. “Our vision of delivering a manufacturer agnostic entry point into the ‘Motorverse’ has finally arrived. Now, any vehicle can serve as your gateway into holoride’s adaptive virtual experiences where each new ride becomes the blueprint for your next immersive adventure.”
Using the same tech as the natively holoride-ready 2023 Audi vehicles, holoride retrofit connects to a VR headset via Bluetooth, delivering the movement and location data that holoride’s software needs to bring its signature “Elastic Content” to life. The platform’s adaptive content library responds to a vehicle’s movements in real time, creating a dynamic in-headset experience that ups the comfort levels for users by keeping motion sickness at bay.
Alongside holoride retrofit’s launch, an update to the holoride catalog gives subscribers access to a new game, Pixel Ripped 1995: On the Road (PEGI7), from the Emmy Award-winning studio ARVORE. The studio’s holoride-enhanced spin-off of the 2020 hit tells the story of David, a nine-year-old gamer, and his virtual friend Dot as they explore classics from the 16-bit and 32-bit eras of video games in an effort to rescue’s Dot’s friends and retrieve the lost Pixel Stone from the evil Cyblin Lord, only this time the action takes place in a car during a family road trip.
“In all our projects at ARVORE, we love challenging ourselves with new technologies and the possibilities of the VR medium” says Ricardo Justus, CEO of ARVORE. “With holoride’s technology, we could explore creating a game in a totally new environment in a very innovative way, so we decided to explore a version of our most successful game to a whole new environment in a moving vehicle, creating a quite unique experience in Pixel Ripped 1995: On the Road.”
Th3 new release joins a variety of experiences in the holoride content library, which includes titles like Cloudbreakers: Leaving Haven, the platform-exclusive action game from Schell Games and the Russo Brothers-founded creative firm Superconductor, and educational apps like Einstein Brain Trainer and multiple releases from the Bookful series. The full lineup also includes a custom web browser and an Android mirroring feature for smartphone screens, both of which are enhanced by holoride’s uniquely reactive software.
The platform’s ability to process and use real-time data to shape a passenger’s in-headset experience is enabled by holoride’s Elastic Content SDK, which is the engine that powers the Motorverse. The company sees the next-generation internet as a space where physical and digital worlds blend together by leveraging the power and potential of web3 capabilities. Central to that is the company’s own cryptocurrency, RIDE, which was conceived to supercharge engagement amongst users and create added value for all ecosystem partners.
The compact holoride retrofit weighs less than half a pound and is sized to live on a vehicle’s windshield, with help from an included suction cup mount. Its lithium-ion battery lasts for 14 hours on one charge, and an included USB-C to USB-A cord allows riders to keep the device plugged in while on the go. Up to two headsets can be connected to holoride retrofit simultaneously, allowing two passengers to enjoy holoride at the same time in the car.
The $799 retrofit Pack contains everything a user needs to get going, including a holoride retrofit, an HTC VIVE Flow headset, a one-year subscription to the holoride platform, and a safety strap. The holoride retrofit is also available as a standalone purchase for $199.
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