WTF?! If your dream is to play Starfield in a comfy memory foam chair that looks like the cockpit of a spaceship, then the "Dream Chair" is for you. If it's not, then maybe your 9-year-old might like it. However, it might be a moot point since you will likely never own one.
Microsoft and Bethesda partnered with memory foam company Tempur for a hype-inducing publicity stunt celebrating the upcoming release of Starfield. At the Gamescom Xbox booth in Germany on Wednesday, the companies unveiled the Dream Chair, an oversized gaming chair stylized as a starship cockpit.
Bethesda chose Tempur to make the chair since its patented material is used in NASA spacecraft. Unlike industry-standard polyurethane memory foam, Tempur material holds its shape much longer after applying pressure, essentially molding to your body. The chair also uses other official NASA parts for an even more "immersive" experience.
It's a long journey – you'll want a comfy cockpit.
– Xbox (@Xbox) August 23, 2023
@StarfieldGame and @TempurUK have joined forces to create the #StarfieldTempurDreamChair, available for test-flight at #Xboxgamescom! pic.twitter.com/4xU1vtIKF4
However, immersion ends with the Dream Chair's appearance. All the cockpit controls are just props. The only things that are functional are the joysticks for making chair adjustments and the ultra-wide monitor. In fact, one could say that the Dream Chair is nothing more than an elaborate Bethesda prop for hyping Starfield. People can sit in it and watch pre-recorded Starfield gameplay, but that's about it.
Tempur has no plans to mass produce the Dream Chair, and you'll only get a chance to sit in it if you are attending Gamescom in Germany. After that, it will be shipped to the UK, where Microsoft and Tempur will auction it off for charity.
Microsoft's and Bethesda's tweets about the Dream Chair (above and below) are somewhat shady and misleading. Both make very generic statements implying that it is an actual product without explicitly saying as much. Even Gamescom and IGN jumped on the Bethesda hype train.
It's a long journey – you'll want a comfy cockpit.
– Xbox (@Xbox) August 23, 2023
@StarfieldGame and @TempurUK have joined forces to create the #StarfieldTempurDreamChair, available for test-flight at #Xboxgamescom! pic.twitter.com/4xU1vtIKF4
Furthermore, none of the tweets provide links to more information explaining that the chair is simply a promotional gimmick. Those details were gleaned from journalists attending Gamescom who asked questions at the Xbox booth.
That said, it is well-made and looks cool with all those faux knobs and flashing lights. It's unclear how much the chair is worth, but since it will be a one-of-a-kind item at an auction, it will likely sell for a small fortune, which puts it all the more out of your reach.
We'd better just stick with vanilla Starfield, which launches on Xbox and PC on September 6.
https://www.techspot.com/news/99911-bethesda-tempur-team-up-create-nasa-like-starfield.html
.What an eyesore!
