Last week I got invited to try VR at VR Here Liverpool by Bryan who run the UK's first Virtual Reality Arcade that was opened back in 2016.
So on Friday after work me and Callum went along to see what it was all about. I knew what VR was and always wanted to try it so this was the perfect opportunity to try it for myself and learn all about it. I was turning up clueless not really knowing what to expect. This was right up Callum's street his kinda thing. He was definitely more excited to go than I was!
We got a brief overview on what VR was and what we were going to be doing while we were there. Then I got strapped up in a headset ready for my first experience!
Even with the headset on you can tell I'm clueless and didn't know what I was doing! Bryan was really good he guided me through it all making sure I got the full experience out of it.
We got to play a couple of different games to show how VR works and what you can do with it. We played on our own, with each other and against each other. Obviously when we were playing against each other Callum beat me as he's a nerd and this is his playing field. In the real world Callum - I'll beat you at anything!
There were people booked in while we were there, so we got to watch them have a go while we took a break. It's funny cos you think if you're not the one actually playing or wearing the headset and just watching it'd be boring. It's actually just as good cos you can see what they see on the monitor but you can see them just moving in an empty space in the real world when they're invested and believing they're in the reality world!
They also have an old school Nintendo console and X Box which guests can play on while they wait their turn but people would rather watch their mates play.
They use 4 HTC Vive headsets running off custom built gaming computers in the 4, 15 x 15 feet booths they have. The far booth is a green screen where they can project videos and do other cool stuff. The other 3 just have a green floor but they all work the same and you can play the same games in them.
Callum the pro showing off.
They currently have 49 games and we got to play a couple of different ones:
Space Pirate Trainer
Raw Data (Multiplayer robot)
Just In Time Incorporated - New game they've just got!
Front Defence Heroes (Multiplayer WW2)
Richie's Plank Experience - You go into a lift that takes you right to the top of a sky scrapper then you walk out onto a plank turn to the side and just fall. I was the second person that just didn't flinch. That's cos I'm such a dare devil, adrenaline junkie. That is right up my street my kinda thing like I'd love to do that in the real world! Where as poor Callum has a fear of falling and I made him do it and was actually shaking after it. Sorry Callum but you didn't flinch!
Job Simulator - this was my favourite even though it's just you working in an office it was really fun! I think this should've been the first game I tried as it would have got me used to it better.
The first one we played actually gave me a bit of motion sickness even though I don't get motion sickness ever and love all crazy roller coasters. Think I was moving way too quick for my own good and it's the feeling of moving but you're not really kinda just messes with your head!
Me and Callum both loved it! We've both agreed we need to go back and hopefully I'll be able to beat him at something next time! I'd like there to be a like a street fighter or something along them lines where you're physically moving your body so it's like a workout would be good. Like on the Wii you can do boxing where you actually have to punch to get the movement in. Also anything that's driving related like Gran Tourismo is definitely my kind of game!
If you would like to go yourself and check it out - 30 minute session costs £20 and full hour is £30. I'd definitely recommend an hour as we were there for like 2.5 hours but it didn't even feel like we were there for that long and we could have stayed for longer!
If you use the code welcometovr on the website vr-here.co.uk/ you get £5 off your booking! If you're booking as a group book seperately and you can all get £5 off each.
They do birthday parties as well as business events for staff and also have a mobile VR that can be taken to different places at a cost of £50 an hour and £50 delivery charge if its outside Liverpool.
Thanks for having us down Bryan! I loved my first experience of VR it was better than what I thought it was going to be like! It's crazy how virtual reality can be so real and that this is the future of gaming. Even if you're not a gamer or into gaming like me it's still a great experience that you need to try. We'll be back soon so I can beat Callum at something!
Some of the photos were
taken with my Nikon 1 J2 camera while others were taken with my Samsung Galaxy
S7 phone.
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