What is ValoBoard and how does the mixed-reality system work?

ValoBoard is the fifth product in the Valo Motion lineup and the company’s second new release of 2026, following the launch of Groundfall earlier in the year. Designed as the firm’s first attraction built around a physical controller, the system requires players to step directly onto a tilt board. According to the company, ValoVision—Valo Motion’s proprietary full-body tracking technology—then immerses participants in a digital game environment projected onto screens ahead of them. Riders shift their weight to steer, lean to aim, and jump to avoid obstacles, while the system records their physical movements instantly.

The attraction aims to bridge the gap between traditional board sports and accessible arcade entertainment. As Dr Raine Kajastila, CEO of Valo Motion, explains, “Board sports have captured people’s imagination for decades, but experiencing that rush is often out of reach.”

Kajastila adds, “You need a mountain, an ocean, or years of learning to master them. ValoBoard removes those barriers, making the excitement of board sports accessible to a much wider audience. It takes balance and core strength and turns them into a fun, multiplayer game experience.”

Operational specs and business model for entertainment centers

For family entertainment center operators, ValoBoard has been engineered for efficiency and high throughput within a compact layout. The setup requires a footprint of 15 square metres (161 square feet) underneath a standard 2.7 metre (8 foot 11) ceiling. It operates without demanding any special flooring or structural building modifications. The hardware supports fast 2- to 3-minute game sessions, accommodating between 70 and 74 riders every hour when running gated admissions through Rush Hour mode.

The system functions entirely unmanned, meaning operators save on labor because there is no need for wearable gear, headsets, or manual guest onboarding procedures. Furthermore, the hardware requires no routine maintenance. Operators can utilize either gated admission models or pay-to-play structures, managing scheduling, branding, and performance monitoring remotely via Operations Hub, which is Valo Motion’s cloud-based platform. At the end of every ride, users receive a QR code allowing them to download a branded video of their session for social sharing, which acts as an organic customer acquisition tool for the venue.

Highlighting the commercial benefits for venue owners, Kajastila notes, “For our operators, ValoBoard opens up an exciting new category of fantasy board sports. It delivers multiplayer fun on a compact footprint, appeals to a broad range of guests, and runs without staff. We are proud to show it for the first time at IAAPA Expo Europe this year, on Valo Motion’s 10th anniversary.”

Launch games designed for teenagers and competitive players

Targeting guests aged six and older—with a specific appeal toward teenagers and young adults accustomed to home gaming systems—ValoBoard launches with three distinct original titles. These mixed-reality games are built to be easy for beginners to pick up while offering deeper challenges for competitive players.

• Sunset Skaters: A fast-paced skating race set across three distinct lanes.
• Trickpunk Snowboarding: A mountain sandbox environment where individual riders pick their own descent paths.
• Spinblades: A two-player head-to-head combat game hosted on a floating platform.

These experiences cater to a diverse demographic, drawing in cautious first-time participants alongside competitive groups and returning visitors looking to beat previous high scores.

Debut details at IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 in London

Valo Motion is presenting both ValoBoard and Groundfall at booth #S2502 at ExCeL London during IAAPA Expo Europe 2026, running from September 22 to 24. Members of the Valo Motion team will remain on-site throughout the trade show to provide live demonstrations for attendees.