New VR Company Built By Atari Co-Founders, Wireless And Multiplayer Compatible

The Atari is a classic video game home console that will forever have a place in gaming history. Now, the world is entering a new age, where virtual reality is the next big thing. It’s only fitting, therefore, that Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell would also make an appearance in the scene with his own VR company called Modal VR. As it turns out, it may even blow Oculus and HTC out of the water.

Bushnell will be launching the company along with Jason Crawford, who will be serving as the CEO. Crawford is the one who created the technology for Modal’s VR as well, which Tech Crunch reports is amazing.

In a recent demonstration, the company apparently allowed users to play human “Pong” at a studio by Machinima. The studio’s only getting started, however, as Machinima will be pushing the technology to its limits to find out what it can really do.

As for its features, the headset is wireless, which automatically makes it an appealing prospect for those who want to experience VR without tripping over cables. Its latency is also at a low 10 milliseconds and can be used with multiple people within an area of 900,000 square feet.  

To bring the full measure of the VR experience to users, the company even has tracking suits, Engadget reports. This allows players to really make use of the space that they have available, with the available range being incredibly huge.

Now, here’s the catch. It’s not likely that what Modal VR is making will be meant for home use like the Atari home console. Instead, it’s most likely meant for multiplayer platforms, much like arcade setups. It could even be used by companies to create their own VR workspace or amenities or allow designers to create life-size representations of things that they are trying to build.

Even more exciting is the possibility of movie makers to create more realistic representations of monsters or settings. Right now, the technology is just in its prototype stage, but “beta” kits are expected to start shipping out soon.