VR Gaming With Pets at Home: Playing Tank Avenger Safely

Pets don't care that you're in the middle of a tank battle. A dog wanders across the arena, a cat sits in the exact spot you were about to step. VR gaming with pets is possible, but the room has to be managed, because in mixed reality the animal is real and the tank is not. Tank Avenger: Mixed Reality places its battlefield on your actual floor, so it's worth thinking this through before the first match.

Why pets are a special case in mixed reality

Passthrough means you can see your room, which helps. But when you're absorbed in a game, ducking a helicopter or catching a launched NUKE, you stop watching your feet. The game's terms are blunt: you're responsible for your own safety and that of people and pets around you, and virtual objects do not protect you from real ones. That sentence is the whole topic in a nutshell.

Before you play: set the room

1. Decide where the pet will be. A closed door, a baby gate or a different room is safest. If you can't confine them, don't play at that moment.
2. Exercise first. A walked dog or a played-out cat is more likely to nap.
3. Provide a distraction. A chew toy or treat puzzle in another room can buy you time.
4. Clear the floor. Remove bowls, toys, cables and anything slippery from roughly 2 × 2 metres.
5. Light the room well so you see movement.
6. Complete the headset's room setup and keep its boundary features enabled.

During play: a spotter helps

If someone else is home, ask them to watch the pet and call out when it wanders near. That person stays outside the play area. Without a spotter, pause the game and take the headset off whenever the animal moves around you. Don't try to play carefully around them; the game happens at pace.

Which parts of the game need extra care

Tank Avenger includes moments that involve sudden movement:

• The helicopter. The rotor wash is real enough that you will duck.
• The NUKE. You catch it with your own hands and throw it as far away as possible. Then run.
• Drone wires. You reach to cut them before the fiber optic drones reach your tank.

Each of those means ducking, throwing or stepping fast. These are exactly the moments to have the pet safely elsewhere.

Consider the pet's wellbeing too

Animals can be startled by a person who looks strange, gestures wildly and shouts. A headset can also upset a nervous pet. Introduce the headset gradually: let them sniff it when it's off and not worn, reward calm behaviour, and keep early sessions short. Not all animals will tolerate it, and that's fine. Don't play near small caged animals or birds that may be stressed by movement and noise.

Gear care

Pets chew cables and scratch lenses. Store the headset out of reach and keep the controllers off the floor. A cat on a charging station can pull a cable. Treat it like any other expensive electronic.

Make the arena pet-free by design

Use the Level Builder to create battlefields on a table or raised surface, which the support page names as a good arena. A coffee table arena keeps the action off the floor, though you will still move around it, so the floor still needs to be clear. Small adjustments to your layout reduce the risk.

When to stop

Stop immediately if you feel dizzy, nauseous or uncomfortable, and if a pet or person enters the play area. Take regular breaks and play in short sessions, as the developer advises.

Learn more on the Tank Avenger page, or see the Meta Horizon Store listing for the current price.

FAQ

Is it safe to play Tank Avenger with a pet in the room?

Only if the pet is kept out of the play area. The game's terms say virtual objects do not protect you from real ones, and you are responsible for the safety of pets around you.

Can I use a table instead of the floor?

Yes. The support page names a table or coffee table as a great arena, although you should still keep the floor around it clear.

What if my pet walks into the play area?

Pause and take the headset off. Don't try to play around them.

Should I let my pet see the headset first?

Introducing it calmly while it's off can help a nervous animal, but not every pet will accept it.