Setting up a VR space

Are you planning to start a VR arcade, fill an office space with VR, or simply create a good setup for your VR system? We are here to help you get started! In this blog, we will explain the best ways to set up your VR equipment and provide some useful tips to do so.

The easiest way to get VR working is the ‘standing only’ setup. For this, you connect the VR-headset to the computer, make sure there is at least 1 x 1 m of free space, and you are ready to go with your VR-games. For example, you can also use Standing-only when you are sitting on a chair behind your computer to play VR.

A room-scale setup leans more towards a professional arrangement. Room-scale means you no longer stand still in one spot but can move around with the headset on. For a room-scale setup, you need a minimum space of 2.5 x 2.5 m and a maximum space of 5 x 5 m (HTC Vive) or 10 x 10 m (HTC Vive Pro). If you want to use multiple room-scale rooms, you can build a ‘cubicle’. This is a separate space of approximately 3 x 3 m where players can play in their own room.

The ultimate way to experience VR is a free-roam setup. The free-roam setup is essentially the same as a room-scale setup but completely wireless! You can fill a space of 10m x 10m with up to three HTC Vive or Vive Pro headsets. Each wireless headset can move freely in an area of 3m x 3m. This way, you can use three areas of 3m x 3m to let three players roam around simultaneously.

The tracking of your headset and controllers is crucial for the overall user experience. It is therefore important to know what types of tracking systems exist and how these systems work. In general, the biggest distinction can be made between inside-out tracking and outside-in tracking. In a VR-headset that uses inside-out tracking, such as the Samsung Odyssey+, there is a camera in the headset. This camera views the entire room and can make an accurate estimate of where the headset and controllers are based on the room. The advantage of this is that setting up the headset is much easier (since you don’t need to set up external sensors), but the downside is that the tracking is less accurate.

VR-headsets with external sensors use outside-in tracking. This form of tracking is more popular among VR-headsets who play in a large space or who want more accurate tracking. It is therefore also recommended to use external tracking systems in a VR-arcade, such as the HTC Vive Pro.

The most used tracking system for professional users are the sensors of HTC Vive: the base stations 1.0 and base stations 2.0. The base stations 1.0 - also known as lighthouses 1.0 - are the original tracking systems of the HTC Vive. These base stations work by emitting a 'laser beam'. This beam is picked up by sensors on the headset and controllers, allowing the base stations to precisely know where you are in the room. Be aware that more than two base stations 1.0 cannot work together. You can set up a space of 5 x 5 m with the base stations 1.0.

The base stations 2.0 - also known as SteamVR Tracking 2.0 - work slightly differently from their predecessors. With these base stations, it is also possible to hang multiple in one room! This allows you to expand the play area to a whopping 10 x 10 m! Unfortunately, it is not possible to purchase the base stations 2.0 separately; they are currently only available to order through a new HTC Vive Pro Full Kit.

The ideal placement of the base stations and sensors is opposite each other in the two corners of the playing area. The base stations should be hung at a height of about 2 meters and angled downwards. You can choose to drill the base stations into the wall, ensuring they are firmly fixed and cannot move. But for a mobile set-up, it is more convenient to place the base stations on a tripod. An alternative to tripods is using mounting clamps, but you will need a place where you can hang the clamps.

Tip: When using ‘cubicles’ in a VR-arcade, truss systems can be a good solution for your setup. The mounting clamps are easy to attach to the truss system, allowing you to create an ideal arcade-setup.

Monitors and computers should be kept at a safe distance. Especially when someone is playing room-scale or free-roam, you should always prevent them from bumping into the monitor or computer. Not only because it would damage your equipment, but also because the player would feel unsafe if they touch something. The monitor does not matter to the player but is of great value to spectators. Nothing is as fun as watching your friend or colleague immerse themselves in the virtual world! The best placement for the television is therefore in a spot where the player cannot reach it, for example, on the outside of the play area. In that spot, the screen is clearly visible to spectators, and there is little to no chance of the player accidentally hitting the monitor.

Your computer is perhaps even more important than the monitor. After all, the game is played on it, so without the computer, the VR-headset will not work. Therefore, always place the computer somewhere where there is no risk of it being bumped or kicked. Ideally, you should hang the computer as high as possible, so neither players nor spectators can touch it.

VR is still on the rise, and new developments continue to emerge in this field. One of these new developments is wireless VR. With a wireless setup, you replace your cables with an adapter that you click onto the VR-headset. This means you no longer have a cable running to the computer, but only a short cable to your adapter. As a player, you are no longer bound by a cable coming out above your head, which gives a very unique experience. However, this also introduces new challenges. For example, the player has no orientation on where they are in the room, so you need to be extra careful not to get too close to the walls. Additionally, a wireless setup can cause connection issues. A wired connection is more reliable than wireless. This is why we recommend VR-arcades to always start with a wired setup when beginning with VR -. This way, you have the certainty that the VR-headset works well, and when you switch to wireless, you can always fall back on the wired connection. This ensures you always have a working VR-opstelling! For wiring, we recommend a cable management system to run the cables over the ceiling.

HTC Vive states that a wireless free-roam can be a maximum of 6 x 6 m. However, if you use multiple base stations 2.0 and distribute the wireless set-up antennas well, you can expand this space to a wireless free-roam space of 10 x 10 m. You can set up a maximum of three HTC Vive or Vive Pro headsets in one space. This is due to the connection mode. Always check the settings of the Vive Wireless App to ensure the headset is in the correct mode.

Depending on the number of users, you can fill a space of 5m x 5m or 10m x 10m with wireless HTC Vive Pro headsets. You can do this by hanging four of the base stations (2.0) and calibrating them to work together. For maximum coverage, it is advisable to hang the base stations just off the centre on the long sides, rather than in the corners. This way, you achieve the maximum coverage from the stations.

It is also important to set each (wireless) headset to a different mode. You can do this by going into the settings in the Vive Wireless App and then changing the 'connection mode'.You can choose from mode 1, mode 2, and mode 3. If you do not do this, you will notice that when you try to pair a second headset, the first headset will disconnect. It is also highly recommended that each wireless user has their own ‘wireless’ space of approximately 3m x 3m. This prevents players from walking through or into each other, and ensures HTC provides the best wireless coverage.

• Ensure there is as little reflection in the room as possible. Reflection can affect the base stations, causing them not to track properly. Consider reflections from television screens, windows, and other shiny surfaces.
• Have the player walk on a different kind of surface. When someone is wearing a VR-headset, they have no idea where they are. By providing the ‘play area’ with a different type of material (e.g., rubber), the player can feel the ground and get an idea of where they are. This provides a sense of safety.

After reading this article, do you need professional, tailored advice? Then you can contact us. You can make an appointment with us to have a ‘site survey’ conducted at your location. This offers the following benefits for your company:

• We personally visit you;
• We map out the required VR equipment for you;
• We brainstorm with you to fill the space;
• We conclude with a concrete appointment for a bespoke quotation.

More information about installation and our rates? Click on this link to go to our information page.