Cybershoes is a low-cost seated omnidirectional treadmill. Technically, it uses a roller sensor for each foot, so it only supports forward and backward sliding, not lateral movement. It is sufficient for smooth navigation in open worlds, but movement in indoor scenes can feel awkward and may require some practice.
I am not particularly prone to VR motion sickness, but walking with a joystick in outdoor scenes like Skyrim and Fallout 4, even without enabling the comfort vignette, still causes discomfort. After using Cybershoes, I do not experience VR motion sickness even when removing the vignette; the anti-motion-sickness effect and overall experience are very good.
As for indoor scenes like Alyx, since Cybershoes cannot support lateral movement and the scenes demand higher precision in foot placement, I often inadvertently cause the rollers to slide backward due to redundant movements, resulting in occasional slight backward drifts that affect control and experience. However, in open scenes, this impact is minimal, possibly because the field of view and environment are more expansive. In other words, although walking with Cybershoes is done via sliding, it feels somewhat like driving with your feet, making winding paths difficult to navigate.
Pros
- Cybershoes sole attachments allow sliding to replace joystick-based walking, running, and backing up.
- Verified to alleviate VR motion sickness.
- Uses low-latency wireless transmission with good response times.
- Features a physical slider to adjust walking speed from 80% to 120%.
- The chair and carpet are aesthetically pleasing, and the soles are sturdy and durable.
- Long-term use provides an exercise effect similar to a stationary bike.
- Compared to omnidirectional treadmills that often cost over 3000 USD, this solution costs only 349 USD (excluding shipping).
Cons
- Although called a treadmill, it actually drives the rotation of one roller per foot via sliding to achieve walking speed.
- It does not support lateral walking. This is because when sitting on a high stool and moving laterally or turning, the rollers produce consistent trajectories that the system cannot distinguish.
- If walking forward is slightly imprecise, it may drive the rollers in reverse, causing slight backward movement; the same applies in reverse when walking backward. This can be improved with practice.
- Not all VR content is supported; walking speed and experience vary across different supported VR content.
- The hard Cybershoes soles easily collide with the chair base and central column, producing noise.
- Shipping from Finland to Taiwan costs as much as 130 USD.
As mentioned above, Cybershoes is very suitable for open worlds. After walking continuously for several hours, it feels like exercising on a stationary bike; not only are the legs sore, but the buttocks are also very painful. In indoor scenes, practice is required to walk well. I am trying to reduce redundant movements and fix the rollers when not moving, overcoming the aforementioned issues through precise control.
