Virtual reality video games are cool and everything, but for a while they’ve been missing one crucial element: cats. The geniuses over at Triangular Pixels solved this little conundrum for us by creating a game that you can actually play with your feline friend.
By using HTC’s Vive VR Tracker and one very willing cat, they were able to insert a cat avatar into their game Unseen Diplomacy. The tracker sends real-time data on your cat’s movement just like the VR controllers, which then gets reflected into the game that you see in your headset. So when Fluffy is weaving in and out of your legs as you play, you’ll be able to see that happen on screen.
While the cat doesn’t actually do anything in the game itself, it is pretty cool to see your kitty in this virtual world. You love having your fluffy pal around wherever you go, so a trip to a video game world should be no different. They started with cats because everyone in the studio owns a cat, but they say the tracker can be used for children or other small pets, too.
This idea is still in the prototype stage, so it’s not up for grabs yet. The developers are still trying to figure out the best and most comfortable way to get the tracker itself to stay on your cat. But the company estimates that the tracker should get a wider release sometime later this year. Until then, you’ll just have to keep playing VR video games sans cat, which, to me, doesn’t sound quite as exciting.
Become an Insider
