Microsoft Patent a Vibrating Floor Mat for VR

It’s not uncommon for the big names in the industry to file patents. However, sometimes they stand out a little more than others. For example, check out this patent for a vibrating floor mat! It looks built for both feedback to the user, but also as a sort of safety area that can warn you about safe zones to walk in too.

Vibrating Floor Mat for VR

I’m not sure it would have any uses outside of VR though unless it could also give you a new way to play Dance Dance Revolution. Honestly, not ruling that out either. The idea of a dedicated VR “rug” if you will, doesn’t sound like such a bad idea. It’s going to be big, but you could argue if you can’t fit the VR mat on your floor, you haven’t got enough room for VR.

Consoles or PC?

Well, that’s the million-dollar question. It’s not unreasonable to think the next Xbox could have VR. However, Microsoft has their Hololens business, PC business, etc, so this could really be anything. Then again, it could simply be a way for Microsoft to protect a good idea, even if they never release it.

“In some examples, [the] computing device may take the form of a gaming console, and [the head-mounted display] and peripheral control devices […] may be peripheral to the gaming console,” it wrote in the filing, while the illustrations depict an Xbox as well as a Kinect.

What do You Think

How many of you think this is a good idea? I think it’s a great idea, but somewhat impractical. However, VR can honestly be a bit impractical anyway, so why not go all out and put in a new VR mat too!