Vista Animations and Motion Capture Barcelona have spent the past 20 months developing the first virtual reality (VR) manifestation of pádel.
“At the beginning,” lead developer Sergi Anglada tells The Padel Paper, which has done a full write-up, “we didn’t know how far we could go and whether the technology would allow us to create something truly realistic, but over time we realized that it would.”
Posting some early images to social media, without any other marketing, was enough to gather a following. “Fans, padel clubs, brands have found us… We’ve gone from a hundred followers on Instagram to more than 7,000.”
The system has three versions:
- “Padel VR Experiences” consists of mini-games with scores and ranks and will serve to establish the brand in physical locations.
- “Padel VR Training” consists of classes in which a coach prescribes exercises and corrects the player’s form as a virtual machine lobs virtual balls for practice. There will be modes for practicing particular shots and mini-games where the player will, for instance, return a smash with a drop shot.
- “Padel VR Game” consists of matches played against the computer or against multiple live players, with rankings and levels.
The “Training” version could be out by December. “Our idea is to work on a subscription basis and add new classes and content every month.” Otherwise, adds Anglada, “In the coming months, we will be present at major tournaments and renowned shops with a stand where we will be launching ‘Padel VR Experiences.’” The “Game” version – for now a low priority – “will have a one-off payment and in-game purchases that will improve the racket, the court, etc.”
The system makes use of Meta’s Quest 2 (list price of about $300) VR headset and dual controllers, although it works also with Quest Pro, and there is hope that it work with Quest 3. “We are creating an adapter for the controllers in the shape of a racket to simulate its weight, balance and the friction of the air,” says Anglada. “It would be aptical, which means that when you hit the ball, the controller would vibrate and produce the sensation of impact.” Anglada suggests that users clear a space of at least three meters by three meters before trying it out.
The team’s target market is the seekers of YouTube tutorials and other online instruction in the sport, but another target is pádel clubs, which, in theory, would set up VR stands for players to practice after their coaching sessions. “We have shown it to professional coaches, and they see it as a very good option to complement training sessions because it allows you to include different settings and throw accurate balls.”
Pádel’s big competition is, of course, with tennis, for which developers have already produced VR apps. The Quest App Store, for instance, offers three: Tennis Esports, Tennis League VR and – perhaps the closest thing to Padel VR – First Person Tennis (“The Real Tennis Simulator”). There are another two apps for table tennis.
There is, in addition, one Quest app – “available through App Lab” – for pádel’s main competition in the U.S., pickleball, but this appears to be “experimental or still in development.”
Photo: Meta
