10 questions indoor entertainment operators are asking about ValoBoard

We introduced ValoBoard, our new mixed-reality board attraction at IAAPA Expo Europe in London. The questions started coming in straight away, from operators running family entertainment centres, trampoline parks, arcades, and mall locations, and from the partners speccing it into venues they are building.

Most of those questions come down to the same three things. Will it fit my floor, will it run without adding to my team's workload, and will guests actually come back for it. Here are the ten questions we hear most, with straight answers.

1. What is ValoBoard, and how does it work?

ValoBoard is a mixed-reality board attraction. Your guest steps onto a tilt board and sees themselves on the screen in front of them, inside the game world. They shift their weight to steer, lean to aim, and jump to dodge obstacles, and the screen responds instantly.

The board is the controller, and the cameras are what make it feel real. The tilt board reads exactly how far your guest leans, precisely and instantly, so the ride responds one-to-one with no margin of error. At the same time, three cameras track their whole body and place the actual person inside the game, riding exactly as they ride, right down to grabbing the board mid-trick the way a real rider would. No headsets, no wearables, and no staff are needed to run it.

2. Who is it for, and what ages can play?

ValoBoard covers a span of guests you would normally need two or three products to reach.

It is suitable for ages 6 and up, and where it lands hardest is with teenagers and young adults. Board sports culture already belongs to that group, so they recognise what they are looking at the moment they see it, and that is the demographic most venues find hardest to attract and keep. 

Younger children play happily too, often riding sitting down just for the fun of watching themselves on the big screen.

3. How much floor space does it need?

15 m² (161 ft²), specifically 3.6 m (11'10") wide by 4.2 m (13'9") long, with a minimum ceiling height of 2.7 m (8'11"). No structural changes to the building, no special flooring, and nothing that rules out an ordinary room.

That compact footprint is the strongest number in the product. ValoBoard goes into corners and side spaces that currently earn nothing, and because it delivers a premium experience, it can carry a premium price per play. 

Drop it beside your bowling lanes or arcade floor as an add-on, or place it front and centre as the anchor attraction that gives your venue its identity.  

4. Do I need staff to run it?

No. There is nothing to hand out, clean, or explain, so your guests walk up and start riding within seconds. Your team's time goes into running your business instead of standing by one attraction, and your operating cost stays flat however busy the floor gets.

You manage it through Operations Hub, the same cloud platform used across the Valo Motion lineup, so an operator who already runs our products manages one more unit rather than learning a second system.

5. Is it safe, and what happens when a guest loses their balance?

ValoBoard is built to the same international safety standards as every Valo Motion attraction, so you add it without adding supervision or extra safety measures on top.

Coming off the board is a designed part of the experience, not an accident. The step down is predictable and feels like stepping onto a flat floor, with no surprises underneath, which is why in testing players step off and immediately step back on. 

The boards have a non-slip surface, and there are no pinch points between the boards and the floor. Two upright handrails give first-timers something to steady themselves with as they get on, and riders can keep a hand on them throughout the ride if they like. In practice, those rails also become the spot where spectators lean in to watch.

6. How many guests can it move in an hour?

Up to 70 to 74 riders per hour in gated admission with Rush Hour mode, which shortens sessions during busy periods. Standard sessions run at around 40 riders per hour, through 15 m², at a premium price per play. Judged on revenue per square metre, that is a strong position to hold.

7. How is this different from other board products I have seen?

Two things set it apart. On other board products, a tilt sensor moves a character on screen, so your guest operates a character, and the crowd watches a character. 

ValoBoard tracks the whole body and puts the actual person into the game world, riding with their own style. The person everyone watches is the person on the board, and that is what makes a stranger stop and watch.

The second difference is what your guests are riding for. ValoBoard launches with three original games, each scaling its challenge in its own way, with a real skill ceiling designed around this specific board rather than adapted onto it. Getting the board to feel right, stable enough for a first-timer to stay on and alive enough to still feel like a challenge, took months of testing on real riders. That feel is the product, and it is the reason guests queue for a second ride.

8. Is it a snowboard simulator?

No. Simulators are built for practice and move a rider downhill with limited side-to-side movement. The thrill of board sports lives in the tricks, the jumps, and the freedom to ride where you want, and that is what ValoBoard delivers. One experienced snowboarder on our team landed moves within minutes that made her feel like a rider with a decade on the mountain. That is the fantasy the product is built to deliver, not a training tool.

ValoBoard does build skill along the way, though. Your guests improve their balance by playing it, because physically tilting the board is a challenge and a big part of the fun, and getting better is visible from one ride to the next. They might not become pro snowboarders in real life, but better general balance helps with snowboarding, among other things.

9. What games does it launch with, and will there be more?

Three original games at launch, each built in-house for a different kind of player. Sunset Skaters is a fast, three-lane skating run that a first-timer is guaranteed to finish. Trickpunk Snowboarding is a freeride mountain sandbox with the deepest skill curve of the three, built for exploring, chasing scores, and the crowd moment when someone lands a hard rail. Spinblades is a loud, head-to-head destruction derby for two, with a cooperative mode where players team up against a wave of robots instead of competing.

More games arrive through the active subscription service, from the same team that built the attraction. Because the board reads every movement one-to-one and full-body tracking puts guests inside the game, the same hardware can carry games that feel completely different. High play value is what turns one attraction into years of repeat visits, and new games keep giving the same guest a reason to come back.

READ MORE: ValoBoard games - and what makes them different

10. When can I order it, and where can I see it first?

ValoBoard can be ordered from January 2027, with deliveries beginning in the first quarter of 2027.

To see it, come and ride it at IAAPA Expo in Orlando this November. ValoBoard is on booth S5487, and our team will be on the stand to walk you through it.

Still have ValoBoard questions?

Your question did not make the list? Our sales team is happy to answer it. Reach out at sales@valomotion.com.

Want the wider story behind the launch? Read ValoBoard, our new fantasy board sports attraction.