Not everybody has access to VR. From the price of headsets (that are thankfully coming down), to the price of powerful VR-capable computers—not to mention a large empty space at home so you don’t collide with a wall or furniture—home-based VR is an expensive proposition. One of the best ways to give it a try is with location-based VR experiences. That’s what I did by visiting VR Playin in Toronto!
What you may not know is that there are some rather large companies in the location-based VR space. Some are tied to large movie properties, while others are more like virtual reality arcades. There’s even a huge VR theme park in China (that we’ll talk about one day).
For those of you that are interested in checking out location-based VR experiences, I thought I’d cover a few of the more popular options that are springing up all over the world—and North America especially!
4 Location-Based VR Experiences You Need to Check Out
Ghostbusters Hyper-Reality Experience by The Void
First of all, you have to put your coat and belongings into a locker. Next, your backpack computer, force feedback vest and helmet are waiting. Once you suit up you can blast away ghosts with a team of three in Madame Tussauds’ Wax Museum. The experience starts inside of an apartment with cute, friendly ghosts flying around. However, once you go through the door to the apartment and hop into the elevator, EVERYTHING changes!
As soon as you arrive on the top floor, you’re in the final battle from the original Ghostbusters film, fighting the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the roof, while all of New York City sits beneath you. As the building is destroyed around you, you feel gusts of air, and vibrations. Every time you’re hit by a ghost, your vest vibrates. Before you know it though, the experience is over and you’ll want to do it all over again!
Star Wars: Secrets Of The Empire by The Void
Star Wars: Secrets Of The Empire is the latest location-based experience by the folks at The Void. Placing you on the planet of Mustafar, it allows teams of four to play virtual dress up as spies going undercover as Stormtroopers. (Hopefully with better aim though!)
While wearing a haptic vest and helmet with hand tracking devices attached, players can walk around and explore a virtual space that is perfectly mapped to the physical environment around them. You’ll find blasters, seats, railings and walls, where they are in the game.
Starting with a mission briefing from Diego Luna (who appeared in Star Wars Rogue One) you are sent on your way to complete a mission that is canonical within the Star Wars universe. Being able to live through an experience that would be at home in any of the films is absolutely thrilling. And coming face to face with Darth Vader is absolutely next level!
Zero Latency
Zero Latency is a location-based VR experience that started in Australia. However, it now exists in Singapore as well as Las Vegas. Similar to what the folks at The Void are doing, the experience puts you through three different challenges. The first eases players into the experience so they learn to move around while wearing all of the required gear.
The second challenge revolves around fighting zombies and is essentially a VR version of Valve and Turtle Rock Studios classic Left4Dead—a high compliment! The third and final challenge allows you to navigate claustrophobic hallways fighting off robots, culminating in a face-off against a giant mech. Combined, the experiences run a full hour which isn’t a bad way to get your blood pumping in VR!
IMAX VR
IMAX has been interested in location-based VR experiences for some time. Albeit with a different formula: building a high-end VR arcade that has exclusive and limited-run content and even more cinematic headsets for some experiences. The spaces located in LA, New York and Toronto are absolutely gorgeous! Ultra modern, clean and looking like it’s straight out of a sci-fi fantasy.
IMAX VR locations have gorgeous and spacious booths that allow customers to play in a large 12 foot by 12 foot space where they won’t have to worry about colliding with anything. Have you ever wanted to wield a lightsaber, or fly through the sky as an eagle? At IMAX’s VR arcades you can!
If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to be the world’s greatest assassin—you can try out the John Wick VR experience with a special ultra-wide StarVR headset and fully tracked gun peripheral. You can roll, crawl, and jump around in virtual reality taking out all of your enemies as though you were in the John Wick films!
That’s not everyone’s style though. You can also play as any member of The Justice League in an exclusive experience tied to the movie that was released last fall. IMAX has location-based VR experiences springing up all over the world and expansion is their goal over 2018 so keep an eye out at major movie theatre locations!
