Ever wondered how Overwatch in complete VR would look? These Korean high school students asked that very question and created a way of playing their favourite title in a virtual space.
Without having to pick up a conventional controller or keyboard and mouse, these students from Korea have managed to use create a rig capable of playing Overwatch in VR controlled entirely by their bodies. The video below shows how their use of technology and engineering works together in their homemade set. Also within the video, they display how exactly you are able to recreate this setup, however I can’t comment on how it was created as I do not understand Korean- sorry about that! The device has a striking resemblance to a Virtuix Omni, though this homemade model lacks the function to run in place. Obviously the homemade Korean device is far less sophisticated as the Virtuix Omni, however it does appear to function rather well.
According to Akshon Esports, to create this setup, the students used a VR Headset (Samsung Gear VR), a smartphone, an IMU sensor, an arduino chip, a ball bearing, a computer, a copy of Overwatch, and finally a motion detection device.
Shown in the gameplay section of the video, there is an obvious input delay between the device and the game but I would say that this is excusable. Their setup is designed primarily for playing Soldier:76 as many aspects of that character are simulated. For example, the toy gun is rigged with sensors to simulate the player’s reload and shooting actions. Incredibly, the motion sensor is also programmed to detect a melee attack when the player punches the air. To use Soldier:76’s ultimate ability, Tactical Visor, a simple touch on the side of the headset is all that's required to trigger it. Pretty neat.