Riftcat Brings High Definition VR to Google Cardboard; Competes With Oculus Rift and HTC Vive?

With VR's rising popularity, high-quality VR headsets like the Oculus rift and HTC Vive have become too expensive for casual VR enthusiast; while less expensive VR headsets like the Google Cardboard doesn't offer many high-quality VR simulations. But with Riftcat's VRidge app, that won't be a problem anymore.

According to TechCrunch, VRidge brings high-definition, Oculus Rift standard VR simulations to small VR headsets like the Google Cardboard. The app mirrors the VR simulation to the phone screen and uses the onboard positioning system on the phone to follow head movement.

VRidge is equipped with a Windows server -- aptly called RiftCat -- which tricks the PC into thinking that a real HTC Vive or Oculus Rift is plugged in. It then sends the video image of the game to the phone inside the Google Cardboard, simulating high-end VR headsets.

PRNewswire reports that VRidge works for games made with SteamVR support and a number of games for Oculus Rift SDK 0.6-0.8 like Elite Dangerous and DCS World. The VRidge application is free to use, but comes with a time limit for each game session; for unlimited play, users will need to make a one-time payment of $15.

VRidge is being developed by Polish startup company "Riftcat" and intends to add more features to the VRidge through regular-interval updates. the company might even add motion sensing or possibly even a whole-room sensing system in the future.

So far, reviews from first users have been positive, as per PRNewswire. "We were very positively surprised about how interested people are in VRidge. We will develop it further to make VR even more accessible," the report cites Riftcat's CEO, Marek Antoniuk,

RiftCat is a VR startup company based in Białystok, Poland and was founded in June 2015. The company aims to make VR technology accessible to everyone through their RiftCat platform.