holoride brings its in-car VR experiences to all vehicles with launch of new retrofit device

In General XR News

January 6, 2023 – holoride, a provider of extended reality (XR) in-vehicle entertainment, has this week announced at CES 2023 the release of its holoride retrofit, a compact device that brings the company’s unique platform to vehicles of any make, model, or year.

The launch of the device, which is roughly the size of a smart speaker, marks a new chapter for the Munich-based company as it works towards accomplishing its core mission of turning every car into a holoride-ready vehicle.

The compact holoride retrofit weighs less than half a pound and is sized to live on a vehicle’s windshield, with help from an included suction cup mount. The company states that the device’s lithium-ion battery lasts for 14 hours on one charge, and an included USB-C to USB-A cord allows riders to keep the device plugged in while on the go. Up to two headsets can be connected to holoride retrofit simultaneously, allowing two passengers to enjoy holoride at the same time in the car.

“The release of our holoride retrofit kicks off a new chapter in holoride’s journey. Our vision of delivering a manufacturer agnostic entry point into the ‘Motorverse’ has finally arrived,” said Nils Wollny, CEO and co-founder of holoride. “Now, any vehicle can serve as your gateway into holoride’s adaptive virtual experiences where each new ride becomes the blueprint for your next immersive adventure.”

Using the same tech as the natively holoride-ready 2023 Audi vehicles, holoride retrofit connects to a virtual reality (VR) headset via Bluetooth, delivering the movement and location data that holoride’s software needs to bring its signature “Elastic Content” to life. The platform’s adaptive content library responds to a vehicle’s movements in real time, creating a dynamic in-headset experience that is designed to improve comfort levels for users by keeping motion sickness at bay. Now, thanks to holoride retrofit, the experience can be brought to any vehicle, according to the company.

Alongside holoride retrofit’s launch, an update to the holoride catalog gives subscribers access to a new game, Pixel Ripped 1995: On the Road (PEGI7), from ARVORE. Pixel Ripped 1995: On the Road is available to all holoride subscribers.

“In all our projects at ARVORE, we love challenging ourselves with new technologies and the possibilities of the VR medium,” said Ricardo Justus, CEO of ARVORE. “With holoride’s technology, we could explore creating a game in a totally new environment in a very innovative way, so we decided to explore a version of our most successful game to a whole new environment in a moving vehicle, creating a quite unique experience in Pixel Ripped 1995: On the Road.”

The new release joins a range of experiences in the holoride content library, which includes a custom web browser and an Android mirroring feature for smartphone screens, both of which are enhanced by holoride’s reactive software.

The platform’s ability to process and use real-time data to shape a passenger’s in-headset experience is enabled by holoride’s Elastic Content SDK, which is the engine that powers the Motorverse. The company sees the next-generation internet as a space where physical and digital worlds blend together by leveraging the power and potential of web3 capabilities. Central to that is holoride’s own cryptocurrency, RIDE, which was conceived to supercharge engagement amongst users and create added value for all ecosystem partners.

The retrofit Pack costs USD $799 and contains everything users need to get going, including a holoride retrofit, an HTC VIVE Flow headset, a one-year subscription to the holoride platform, and a safety strap. The holoride retrofit is also available as a standalone purchase for USD $199. 

For more information on holoride and its XR-powered in-vehicle entertainment system, or to order a retrofit Pack or a standalone holoride retrofit, please visit the company’s website.

Image credit: holoride