Board-sports video games can certainly be a lot of fun, but let's be honest – sitting on the coach and twiddling a joystick isn't much like real snowboarding or skateboarding. That's where the BoarDrop system comes in, as it puts players on an actual multi-purpose board.
Made by a gaming tech startup of the same name, the BoarDrop setup is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. And no, it's not designed for dropping boars or any other critters.
At the heart of the system is the "Core Board," which works with a system-specific Snowboard kit, Surfskate (skateboarding) kit, and Balance Board accessory. It's composed of laminated layers of Canadian maple wood and fiberglass, with a layer of grippy EVA foam on top.
The Core Board additionally incorporates electronics such as a microprocessor, Bluetooth module, IMU (inertial measurement unit), four vibrating haptic feedback motors, and a lithium-ion battery. Oh yes, and it also has a snazzy blue LED strip running around its perimeter.
When the user wishes to play a third-party snowboarding game, they attach the Snowboard kit's shoe bindings to the top side of the Core Board, plus they attach the kit's flexible base board to the underside. As they proceed to execute their various snowboarding moves, the Core Board detects those movements and wirelessly relays them (in the form of commands) to the third-party gaming console.
Users are reportedly not only able to steer and brake, they can also perform maneuvers such as Spin 180s, Spin 360s, Ollies, and "perfectly balanced" Manuals. The haptic feedback motors vibrate when such tricks are successfully pulled off.
The deal is much the same for playing skateboarding games, although in that case the Surfskate kit – which consists of two sets of trucks and wheels – is swapped onto the Core Board. For core-strength-building exercises, the Core Board is simply balanced on top of the cylindrical Balance Board accessory.
Needless to say, there's an app that allows users to set goals, receive custom AI-based training plans, take part in guided workouts, and track their progress. There's also a wireless handheld controller, for use in games that require additional inputs.
According to its makers, BoarDrop is currently compatible with numerous popular games on the PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Meta Quest, Apple TV, VisionPro, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Windows 10+ platforms. One 3-hour charge of the Core Board's battery is claimed to be good for approximately 10 hours of runtime.
Assuming the system reaches production, a pledge of US$239 (planned retail $398) will get you the Core Board, with the Snowboard kit, Surfskate kit and Balance Board accessory going for an extra $379 (retail $632), $379 (retail $632) and $269 (retail $448), respectively.
You can see the BoarDrop setup in action, in the video below.
Sources: Kickstarter, BoarDrop
