Arcades offer cheap, accessible ways to get people into VR for the first time, but they can also offer experiences not currently possible inside people’s homes too. VRstudios’ new VRcade Arena capitalizes on that.
VRcade Arena is a new platform that supports warehouse-scale VR for up to eight players in a location-based environment. Using the company’s Attraction Management Platform (AMP), facilities will be able to set up either own VR installations offering full-motion VR experiences. AMP provides support for customers including easy installation and help with maintaining the platform.
VRstudios’ tech consists of a proprietary VR headset along with various input mechanisms like plastic guns or controllers. These wireless devices are positionally tracked, allowing you to navigate large spaces. Think about Valve’s room-scale tracking for SteamVR, only amplify it to cover much more ground. The company has already got centers up and running around the world, but this new scheme will help expand its reach even further.
Content for the platform will consist of both new titles made specifically for it and other third party titles that have been licensed out. The image above shows what looks like a space shooter as one of its first games, though there’s no word on exactly what will be available on the platform just yet.
VRcade Arena has a shot at making an impact on the steadily growing VR arcade scene, though the space is becoming hotly contested. HTC, for example, has its own Viveport Arcade scheme which allows locations with Vive units to rent out software for use in arcades for a certain amount of time. Companies like The Void, meanwhile, offer similar experiences tailor made for certain locations. Where the VRcade Arena will fit into the landscape will be an interesting story to follow.
