VR-tracked cricket bat

Centurion VR is on a mission to advance immersive qualities of VR sport, starting with cricket, the second most popular sport in the world.

They approached Synapse looking to develop a simulation-level virtual cricket experience with a physical product suitable for both commercial arcade leasing and professional use. We were able to leverage our deep expertise in developing and delivering SteamVR™ trackable objects, as well as reliable, high-touch consumer devices to create a VR cricket bat that brings the world’s most realistic cricket batting simulator to life.

The deeply immersive experience of Centurion VR’s cricket simulation is the result of several highly accurate systems working in conjunction. The bat tracking system, run by SteamVR™, tracks the player’s bat movements with submillimeter accuracy. The in-game ball positional data are captured and replayed by the advanced, sport-specific Hawk-Eye™ tracking system. Synapse engineers designed the VR bat to be the correct size and weight, and created a number of force feedback systems within—provided by solenoids and eccentric rotating mass motors—that make it feel as if you are actually hitting a ball.

The simulation features real-life bowling data from live matches via the aforementioned Hawk-Eye system, which not only creates fun gameplay for cricket fans, but also the performance to support cricket simulation and training for top professional players.