MetaShot Smart Bat Review: I Love It!

MetaShot is an Indian company that has made a unique product called the MetaShot Bat, which lets you play cricket at home using augmented and mixed reality experiences on your phone, tablet, or PC. You will receive the bat, a Miracast cable, and a few documents in the package.

The bat is quite interesting and is the main part of the hardware required to experience the game. Apart from this, you must download the Metashot app, which is available on all platforms, such as Android, iOS, and Windows.

I have been using it for the last two weeks, and this is my review of MetaShot Smart Bat. Let us get started.

How to Order the MetaShot Smart Bat

I ordered my bat from Flipkart, but it is also available to order on the MetaShot website. Our package included the bat and a Miracast cable that can be used to connect your phone or tablet with a TV or projector for the big screen experience. Delivery was quick, and the package arrived in perfect condition. The unboxing experience is simple and comes with all the documentation needed to get you started.

How To Setup the MetaShot Smart Bat

After unboxing the product, use any mobile charger with USB Type-C to charge the bat charge for at least 3 to 4 hours before getting started. Then, you have to download the Metashot app. It is available for mobiles on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. For Windows, you have to download the app through the MetaShot website. Once you have downloaded the app, follow the instructions below to connect your bat to your device.

1. Open the app after you have downloaded it.
2. Once it opens, you have to create an account in the game to store your progress and stats online.
3. After you have created the account, on the home screen you will see several game modes to choose from. Select the one you want to try or start with quick play.
4. You will be asked to connect your bat before proceeding forward. Press the triangle button on the back of the bat to turn it on. The blue light indicates that it is in pairing mode.
5. Keep Bluetooth on in your device and press connect on the screen. The lights on the bat will glow green to indicate that the bat is paired with your device.
6. Once the bat is paired, the game will start. Enjoy!

MetaShot Bat: The Build

If we talk about the hardware part of things, the MetaShot bat is built well, even though it is made out of ABS plastic and not wood (a bit disappointing). The bat has heft like an actual cricket bat and weighs around 550g. The grip is made out of NBR silicon-Nitrile butadiene (Non-slip foam) and has a lanyard at the end of the handle to keep the bat secure in your hands when you are playing those excellent hook shots.

It uses Bluetooth to connect with your devices and is equipped with high-precision accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers for accurate and nuanced tracking of swings, shots, and spins. There is also haptic feedback when you hit the ball or are dismissed. If you run into any issues with the bat, there is a reset button beside the charging port to reset the bat to factory settings. There is a button and a bunch of LED lights at the back, which glow in different colors for different functions.

• Red light is used to indicate dismissals and when the bat has a low battery or is turning off.
• Blue Light to indicate pairing mode.
• Green light is used to indicate boundaries and sixes, along with the amount of charge your bat has.

Overall, the hardware is impressive and the most interesting part of the experience.

MetaShot Smart Bat: The Software

The MetaShot app is available on all major platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows. The app is well-made with decent graphics; most functionalities work as intended. There are different game modes available like Quick Play, Online Multiplayer, Play with Friends, Weekly Challenge, and many more such modes to enjoy. You can practice in the Nets mode, play with your friends, or with strangers online. Everything is free to play because it is bundled with the hardware, but you have to earn coins by completing daily challenges to access some special modes, like the weekly challenge, which has cash prizes.

There are options to select your batting style, and you can also create your own customized player to participate in tournaments. New challenges and new equipment are unlocked as you keep leveling up by playing more and more games.

MetaShot Smart Bat: The Gameplay

I love playing cricket but couldn’t play anymore after moving to a different city for studies and work because I did not have enough people to play with. MetaShot is something that excites me about cricket again; otherwise, I would just be playing it on my phone and PC with a controller. Using a physical bat to hit my favorite shots and making runs in a virtual stadium is not exactly how I imagined myself playing cricket again, but this has been a fun experience.

The app works well with the sensors on the bat to accurately detect my stance and then recreates the shots on the screen. It misses a few movements, but I have adapted to this and can adjust my stance accordingly. There is a strength meter to detect how far the ball will go depending on how hard you are swinging the bat.

The only weird thing is that there is no option to bowl in any of the game modes other than the Nets mode. But I am mostly surprised by how well everything works here, considering this is not very expensive compared to something like IB Cricket on the Oculus Quest 2, where the game itself is more expensive than the entire MetaShot package.

Finally, playing with MetaShot makes you move, and you are actually doing some exercise instead of just playing on your phone or PC with a controller. I love the idea and how well the company has executed it.

MetaShot Smart Bat Review: The Verdict

The overall idea and execution of MetaShot resonates with consumers like me who miss playing cricket but would still love to experience the games once in a while. The product fits the budget of most people and comes with a 6-month warranty to deal with manufacturing issues. I haven’t managed to deplete the battery on the bat with my 45-minute sessions every day, but it is supposed to last for about 6 hours on a single charge. The battery life seems good enough to last for a week if you are not using it the entire day.

Overall, I love MetaShot. Hopefully, the brand will keep growing and introduce more such products for us to enjoy.

Buy MetaShot Smart Bat