Video games have come a long way since the early days of Pong and Pacman. Today’s gaming developers are constantly pivoting to incorporate emerging technologies into both games and gaming platforms.
One of the most remarkable advancements to emerge from this ongoing innovation is Virtual Reality (VR). Free Roam VR offers a fully immersive experience, allowing gamers to enter an interactive 3D environment. Users of such VR platforms feel as if they’re being physically transported to a virtual universe far beyond the experience they would normally get with a screen-bound video game.
Experiencing this incredibly immersive technology is now as easy as a visit to Zero Latency, a cutting edge, high-tech, Free Roam Virtual Reality Arena that opened in Burlington on August 19th. Zero latency is a gamer term meaning zero input lag when gaming. According to Brandon Wells, Operations Manager at the new VR facility, Zero Latency offers an unparalleled VR experience for users age 10 and up.
“We are a free roam virtual reality arena which means our experiences unfold within a 2,000-square-foot space dedicated to providing an immersive and captivating environment,” said Wells. “The system tracks player movements around the gaming space and translates it into motion in the digital world. It’s a fully immersive experience.”
“I would say 80 percent of our customers who come in have never tried VR at home, much less a Free Roam VR arena. When they leave here people are in shock and awe. Customers are enthralled when they get here and amazed when they leave at what they have just experienced. They all say they love it. It’s such a unique experience.”
Booking your VR experience is as easy as visiting the Zero Latency website, then choosing both a time you’d like to play and your desired gaming experience. The company offers a variety of virtual reality games such as Far Cry VR, Outbreak, Undead Arena, Singularity, Sol Raiders, and Engineerium, all of which transport users into digital worlds full of robots, pirates, zombies, and will even mess with a user’s perception of gravity.
Unlike a typical home VR experience where players remain primarily static, entering the virtual reality arena offered at Zero Latency delivers a much more physical experience.
“You don’t get motion sickness because you’re walking around and full range of motion is involved.. With each 30 minute experience you can expect to walk about a kilometre and a half. You do move around and get your steps in. The games themselves like to mess around with your perception of movement, going up and down ramps, through tight corners and corkscrews. It’s much more than a 3D experience. This is completely immersive.”
Zero Latency offers VR sessions of 30 and 45 minutes, including an anti-gravity experience called Engineerium that Wells said is bookable along with all other gaming options. Once you book online, you simply arrive at Zero Latency, get fitted with a headset and controller, go through a safety briefing, and then it’s off to your virtual reality experience. Although VR can be a physical experience, Wells said it can also be accessible regardless of your physical challenges.
“A couple weeks ago we had our first player who was in a wheelchair. She loved it. We have a dedicated staff here that will help when needed. We had someone guide her through her experience. She really handled herself well. It’s definitely open to accessible groups.”
Come experience the greatest free-roam virtual reality experience in Burlington. Visit Zero Latency at 3410 Mainway in Burlington. Book online by visiting zerolatencyburlington.com.
