Yaw2 Motion Simulator Chair Attracts $1M in First Week on Kickstarter

In its initial Kickstarter campaign back in 2018, the original Yaw motion simulator chair was one of the first out of the gate to promise a compact, 3DOF motion simulator chair for VR and traditional monitors. Now Yaw VR is back on Kickstarter with its next hardware platform, dubbed Yaw2, and it’s already hit it out of the park with over $1 million in crowdfunding.

Yaw2 is being billed as a ‘consumer-grade’ motion simulator, and that isn’t such a big stretch on the lower end of the cheapest remaining funding tier, which costs $1,090. That tier doesn’t include the actual chair bit, or modular ‘yaw platform’ which lets you swivel 360 degrees though. Still, the hardware platform seems to have struck a chord with simulator diehards, prosumers and arcades alike when it launched late last month on Kickstarter. At that time, that model was offered as cheap as $790.

Now Yaw2 has already exploded past the initial funding goal of $100,000, having broken the $1 million mark in the first week since its April 23rd launch. It’s not showing any signs of stopping either. Yaw2 has garnered nearly $1,150,000 with a little over a month left to go before the campaign’s close.

In comparison to the original 2018 version, which features 3DOF motion and a pretty compact seat that fits snuggly inside a spherical dome, Yaw2 seems to be a much more conventional motion platform thanks to its larger footprint, adjustable desk, and ability to integrate your own chair.

If you want the most basic version of Yaw2 with 3DOF movement, which includes a modular ‘yaw platform’ for 360-degree swiveling, you’ll need to pony up $2,020 $1,470, which decidedly puts it right on the edge of the consumer category. That too doesn’t come with the seat portion itself, which you can either add yourself, or buy direct from Yaw VR for an additional $75 – $100 depending on how quick you are with your wallet.

The company says Yaw2 is compatible with all major VR headsets, including Oculus Quest, PSVR, and SteamVR-compatible headsets. Although many game engines offer motion simulator support, the game itself should have support baked in. Yaw VR is boasting many games with native motion simulator support, some of which include Elite Dangerous, Dirt Rally 2.0, Project Cars 2, MS Flight Simulator, and Fly Inside to name a few.

All versions are slated to ship in September 2021, which also includes both pro and arcade versions with higher wattage output and stronger motors. Check out the Yaw2 Kickstarter for the full technical specs.

Update (May 5th, 2021): A previous version of this article misquoted a price tier, which was erroneously reported as being $2,020 for the least expensive 3DOF version of the device. Yaw VR pointed out to us that it is indeed priced at $1,470 for that particular tier, and that the $2,020 tier is intended for the ‘Pro’ 3DOF version of Yaw2. This has been corrected in the body of the article above.

Source: https://www.roadtovr.com/yaw2-vr-motion-chair-kickstarter/