We were invited to visit the HTC Lounge at CES: 2018 and demoed lots of different immersive VR experiences, but one really left us in awe. HTC took us to the wheel gripping CXC Racing Simulator where we got to be one of the lucky few to demo the HTC Vive Pro headset before its release!
Drivers Training
Before sitting in the racing seat we were versed on past professional drivers who have trained on the CXC simulators like Patrick Long and Jason Isley. We then sat down in the CXC Racing Simulator buckled up and put the Vive Pro headset and headphones on.
The Forearm Workout
The Motion Pro II is a beast at over 500 pounds and looks like the inside dashboard and seat of a race car. It’s equipped with a haptic steering wheel, tactile seat with CXC motion system, and pedal system. While racing around the track I felt the rush that pro drivers must feel.
The turning had resistance to it, which made my arms work harder than I anticipated, which is a good thing. Drifting and crashes felt real without going overboard on the movement and shaking. The reactive steering wheel really worked my forearms after playing for what felt like a few minutes (time warp), so we’re definitely feeling how this racing sim could be a great forearm workout if it’s played for longer periods.
The Dashboard
Using the new Vive Pro with the Motion Pro II really made reading the dashboard easy to see clearly with no screen door effect. The older Vive model had issues with display blurriness that was uncomfortable, which definitely isn’t the case with the Vive Pro. The sounds of the engine revving, acceleration changes, and braking, as well as other drivers, could be heard in 360 sound. Background noise from CES didn’t seep through my CXC racing experience at all.
Zero Lag
While racing, we didn’t see any visual interruptions or lag from the Vive Pro headset. I kept expecting there to be lag from fluctuations in acceleration, braking, and turning changes but the ride was smooth and bumpy where it needed to be. The overall improved visual quality of the Vive Pro headset display is a great sign that HTC has listened to their customer’s concerns.
Where To Get CXC Racing Sim
The CXC Racing Simulator is no Mario Kart or arcade driver, not even close. This is a fully immersive and truest to life racing simulation that actually looks and feels like you’re racing around a professional track. Readers at home and businesses can purchase a CXC Motion Pro II for home use at a price tag of $49K and that’s without the HTC Vive Pro.
Today is the last day of CES until next year, so if you want to visit CXC Racing Simulator you can find them at the HTC Lounge at Wynn, Meeting Rooms – Alsace 1.
