TPCast announced that it formed a partnership with VRStudios to introduces TPCast’s wireless HMD system to commercial location-based VR entertainment facilities. VRStudios will add TPCast’s technology to a new VRCade product line soon.
TPCast is gearing up for its introduction into the North American VR market, and the company is taking a multi-pronged approach. Over the last weekend, TPCast revealed that it would be setting up shop in Silicon Valley to build a marketing team and establish a U.S.-based support team for its upcoming consumer-grade HTC Vive and Oculus Rift wireless upgrade kits.
TPCast is also taking on the commercial market with its wireless technology. TPCast didn’t reveal a wireless kit for the commercial market, but it announced that VRStudios would be a licensed commercial distribution partner that would offer a branded package with TPCast’s technology built-in. Details of VRStudios’ new product are scarce, but the company said that it would be “deploying TPCast’s wireless technology in a new VRCade product line to be announced soon.”
“We are excited to partner with VRstudios, the leader in delivering immersive VR attractions to the commercial LBE market, and enable them to expand the LBE industry and create a pivotal change in the future of wireless, full-motion, arena-scale VR,” said Udi Yuhjtman, TPCast’s North America GM. “TPCast is committed to the VR market by supporting untethered high-end systems providing a fully immersive experience with enhanced video and audio quality.”
VRStudios’ VRCade location-based VR entertainment package offers a warehouse-scale VR experience that supports up to eight players at once. The current iteration of the system includes backpack PCs that you must tote around with you as you play. VRStudios didn’t say as much, but the addition of TPCast’s wireless technology suggests that you won’t need a backpack for VRStudios’ upcoming VRCade product.
“VRstudios was the first company in the world to provide totally wireless, full-motion capability to virtual reality,” said Kevin Vitale, VRstudios’ CEO. “By partnering with TPCast, we can provide an even more comprehensive product line of high performance attractions to address the requirements of LBE facilities around the globe. This exemplifies the benefits of our Attraction Management Platform™ that has been designed to allow easy integration of the best emerging technologies in the VR industry.”
VRStudios didn’t say when it would be ready to reveal its new product based on TPCast’s wireless technology. We suspect TPCast is busy trying to fulfill European pre-orders and preparing to launch its consumer model in the North American market. We would hope to see the retail product hit the shelves before the company dedicates its resources to the commercial market.
