What makes VR venues unique? We’ve been doing it all before COVID was a thing. Too much? Well, I still believe it to be valid. Some key elements distinguish Virtual Reality from other entertainment forms, making it exceptionally safe. All other entertainment options are lacking, including restaurants and bars. Not to bash on restaurants or…
The Oculus Quest Isn’t Perfect Now we’ve got to the part that we talk about the things I don’t like about the headset. Now the one thing that people have been knocking on this headset is the battery life, as it’s only about two hours. Personally, I think that is totally fine because I don’t…
You may have heard of a little company called Oculus in the last year or two or their new headset called the Oculus Quest. If you’re familiar with VR feel free to skip right to the next paragraph, but for those of you who aren’t, quick backstory. Oculus began as a small studio with the…
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I wanted to dive into why VR is such a great date night activity. There are quite a few reasons for this but I have 4 main ones I want to talk about. Number 1, is of course that it’s different. Not may people have tried VR before…
In terms of VR Games, Beat Saber is the Beatles of the 21st century. It seemingly came out of nowhere and seems to not stop growing. So let’s take a step back and look at why Beat Saber is taking over the world, and why that’s a good thing. Back in Japan in the late…
We’ve talked in the past about wireless VR technology in it’s most accessible form, that being Standalone VR Headsets. However, today I want to focus on a different style of wireless VR. That being the pros and cons that come along with cutting the cable on your high end, PC tethered, VR headset to achieve…
Halloween is a great excuse to scare the living daylights out of someone you love. I don’t know about you, but I love experiences that make me want to scream at the top of my lungs in terror. Of course, there are always traditional scary movies or haunted houses to partake in, but why not…
This is the last part of the “VR in Japan” Series, for 2018 at least. If you haven’t followed so far, then I recently went to Japan on a work-vacation, work-cation, trip and have done my very best to sample all the country has to offer in terms of virtual reality. Needless to say, I…
We all have that one friend who tries something and instantly dismisses it, instantly. It’s fair to say that each group or team has their own naysayer. And contrary to what you may think, they are extremely important to group dynamics as long as they don’t bring everyone down.
Education is a big part of the future of Virtual Reality and since our past article on the matter was some time ago it was time for a refresher with a more future focused outlook. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, as a quick recap, Virtual Reality provides the user(s) with a simulated world…
This one is dedicated to those of you who are more into marketing, but even if that may not be your cup of tea, it may still expand your view of VR and how it can be used. And of course if fun is what you’re after everything below revolves around fun things that get…
While the word ‘Startup’ was what I wanted in the title, I realized it would not define all the companies touched upon in this post. This is not due to the lack of innovation that they bring to the industry but in some cases, we will be talking about big companies with small innovative uses…
You may be familiar with the fact we talk about gaming a lot by now, however, VR has many sides to it that take on multiple forms of content! One of the more interesting sides in cinematic experiences in VR. Immersing yourself fully in the content is second to none and really takes the experience…
We’ve talked many times about what makes a great VR Experience, but what about VR in a real use-case scenario? How does it do in real world environments? We are going to quickly go through a list of times where VR can really help in 3 particular scenarios.
The VR jewel of Tokyo. The uniqueness of this space makes it entitled to its dedicated blog entry. As briefly mentioned in Part 1 VR ZONE is Bandai Namco’s vanguard in the realm of Virtual Reality.
We’ve talked quite a bit about VR in this blog, naturally, but I want to shift gears today a bit and chat about AR or Augmented Reality. As software and hardware advances, new emerging technologies come out that will always push the envelope. To better understand where AR is going and what the future may…
From an outside perspective, Japan seems, or it did for me, like a technological Mecca. Tokyo specifically was almost completely destroyed, twice! Last time being bombed to ash in the 2nd World War. While other war-stricken countries resign themselves to rebuild what was, Japan made a point to build better and smarter. It did so…
Virtual Reality is the future, in some part, but how that future will be integrated is still unknown. One of the various use cases for VR is its effective use as a training tool. Let’s explore a few methods some popular companies have introduced to help them train their employees better.
As isolating as Virtual Reality may seem, it’s actually quite the opposite when it comes to group events. Because of the wide range of multiplayer content now available, it’s a fantastic team building activity. If you’re looking for someone to do for your next corporate event, but are reluctant about what VR can offer, let…
For the past 2 years, consumer Virtual Reality goggles have mostly fallen into two categories: room-scaled VR goggles that require a computer or console, and mobile VR boxes that are powered by smartphones. But in 2018, this is starting to change. Due to the costly PC-powered Virtual Reality goggles and poor image quality of mobile…
VR has so many uses today in the modern world, but a big chunk of the population still has never experienced it. In an effort to help push the adoption, some major brands have jumped on board and used VR in their advertising campaigns. Today we’ll talk about three that stand out among the crowd.
If you’ve tried Virtual Reality before, you understand how immersive the experience is. I’ve joked in the past about how time perception is completely skewed when in the virtual world. Hours can go by and seem like minutes when a headset is on. It’s the perfection distraction from anything that’s going on in the real…
We’ve discussed in the past how VR can take you to different worlds and relive certain experiences you may have already done. But what about going to places you’ve only dreamed of? Well, VR can help with that too. Let’s talk about bucket lists.
We’ve talked in the past about how Virtual Reality will become apart of our daily lives in the future here. But what about the technology that is available today that can push our current experiences to the next level? For some of this, we need to take a quick trip across the pond, to take…
One of the things I’ve noticed from working in Virtual Reality is the number of people that are surprised at how much they work up a sweat in certain VR experiences. It’s quite funny actually. You come in thinking “It’s just like playing some video games at an arcade, right?”, and leave a couple hours…
While working here at VRPlayin, I get to see a lot of customers come in and out of the space playing every game we have over and over again. There are certain times when returning customers will come in and want something new, and usually, we do have something in store for them. But this…
Changes in the VR market are happening constantly, with new peripherals seemingly popping up weekly. As much as hardware is incredible and is what really allows you to interface with the Virtual Reality realm, software is currently the main pinpoint holding back the technology medium as a whole. With the entire world talking about how…
While you may have heard of this new thing called Virtual Reality (aka VR) as the newest toy that all the cool kids are getting, it is important to note that not all they are doing is playing video games. Ideally, things such as The Matrix and the Holodeck from Star Trek should come to…
A couple months ago we asked our customers to fill out a survey with their opinions on what factors make a great loyalty program. We were amazed at how many responses we received, with valuable feedback that we put to good use in designing our own Loyalty Reward Program. We’re extremely excited to announce that…
If anyone is unfamiliar, VRPlayin is the largest space of its kind in Toronto, which is ambitious, however, being the biggest has garnered us some attention with the larger crowds. As we have discussed in the past, corporate events and big events are really fun for us and I’m going to give you four reasons…
Since VRPlayin opened its doors in April of 2017 we’ve had all kinds of events happening in our venue, but by far the most popular is the birthday party, and the age ranges might surprise you. Yes, as one can expect, a lot of these parties are for kids (preferably 8 and up), but to…
In the past 2 years alone, we’ve seen massive jumps in Virtual Reality adoption. A big part of that adoption has been the gaming industry, as gamers are always looking for something new and fun to challenge themselves with. The main reason that VR has done so well is the fact that it fully immerses…
The Electronic Entertainment Expo, E3 for short, is the largest such event in North America. Although the event itself has a bit of a shaky history since its inception, it remains, to this day, the choice event for big publishers in the video game industry as an opportunity to drop names of the titles they will be releasing…
I know we’ve written many articles in the past promoting Virtual Reality as a team building activity. But for those of you who are still on the fence about trying VR for your next corporate event, let’s go into detail on some of the successful team building examples I’ve witnessed while working at VRPlayin.
The age-old debate: cook at home or go out to eat… Spend a dismal amount of time researching a recipe and getting the ingredients only to go home to realize you’re missing a key piece of equipment or the kitchen is being used by someone else. Alternatively, you could go to your corner franchise restaurant…
After talking about the medium of Virtual Reality in the music industry and pop culture in general, this week I’m focusing on the influence it has had on both film and television. The obvious mention is, of course, Ready Player One, which was based on the popular novel of the same name by Ernest Cline,…
On this lovely Friday, we’ll be going through some VR games that are worth keeping an eye on if you own or plan on owning a VR system at home. Some of these titles we will also be trying to bring to you at VRPlayin, so stay tuned! While we use the HTC VIVE in…
It’s impossible to deny that Virtual Reality is steadily taking the world by storm. Most recently, the film release of Ready Player One (based on the novel by Ernest Cline), has helped the popularity of VR rise and put the medium on people’s minds. However, today we’re going to talk about its influence specifically on…
A few weeks ago I wrote about the 5 key differences between the various VR headsets when it comes to specs and price. As VRPlayin is a venue that prides itself on the exclusive use of the HTC VIVE, it is worth writing as to why we have not yet upgraded to the VIVE PRO,…
Curious about trying out Virtual Reality? I’m sure you’ve heard numerous people talking about this exciting new technology, and if you haven’t dived into it yourself yet I certainly recommend it. Today we’ll give you 5 tips to make sure you have the ultimate experience for your first time in the virtual world!
Although we’ve touched on the topic of motion sickness in Virtual Reality several times, most notably in this article here, today we’re going to talk less on the hardware side and more on the content and physiological aspects of motion sickness.
Although we’ve written many articles in the past about various elements of Virtual Reality, let’s pretend for a second that you know nothing about this new and foreign technology. You want to do something unique, fun and exciting for your next office outing and have heard mumblings about the word ‘VR’. So what can you…
Virtual Reality, also known as VR, is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days, alongside with Augmented Reality, or AR; Mixed Reality, or MR; and Extended Reality, XR. We’ve written in the past about what VR is, which you can find here, but the gist of it is that it is a…
Ever since its debut in 2016, Virtual Reality technology has never stopped advancing. We’ve discussed where Virtual Reality currently stands in this blog post at the end of 2017 and since then, its evolution has continued. But there are still a few limitations. Existing popular VR goggles have resolutions that are no way near the…
Like all things in life: moderation is key. From salt to fat, from exercise to sleep, anything and everything can be bad if done in excess. Eat too much ice-cream and you’ll get sick, too much candy and your teeth will fall out. In a previous article we talked about the health concerns in regards…
I’m not here to tell you to choose VRPlayin over another VR centre in Toronto. But what I will tell you is what we can offer you that might make a different experience for you over other VR centres in the city. And hey, if you find that this looks like we are the right…
Do you guys remember The Matrix? One of the things that really stood out to me was the chair Neo sat in for “training”. Do you remember that? I like to believe that this is where VR is headed. And I’m not just saying that because I want to learn kung fu. But while…
What is team building? Many of you may seem to know what team building really means, but when you take a step back and look at it, you have to start with how you define a team. To put it in simple terms, a team is a group of individuals working together to achieve a…
By now, the words Virtual Reality should have a familiar ring. Consumer VR has been hyped for three years, our physical location on College Street has been open for over a year, and at the end of last month, the blockbuster Ready Player One was released. Even if the specifics of VR are fuzzy, that’s…
The popularity of Virtual Reality lounges and arcades in Toronto has been steadily increasing since the release of consumer version VR goggles Oculus Rift and HTC Vive in late 2016. This increase is not merely due to the novelty and immersiveness of the technology, but due to multiple reasons and factors from both the demand…
We’ve written numerous articles in the past promoting VR, but today let’s take a step back and discuss some of the not so popular things about Virtual Reality. After all, there are always two sides to every story. So let’s dive into some of the factors consumers might dislike about VR.
Play Charades! Is there anything better than that? I think not! But on the slightly more serious side, one of the best things that made video games great was the fact that you could play with friends. There was a reason why the consoles of old came with 2 controllers connected to it.
Although Virtual Reality is still in its early stages, as it becomes a mainstream medium, VR will become as much a part of our daily lives as our smartphones. It’s a technology that will change our world and the way we do things, so if you’re not familiar with Virtual Reality, we recommend you read…
A rare gem hidden in our catalog is Modbox. For some, Modbox is a game, for others in the VR world, it’s a tool. But whether it’s used for playing a game or building one, with a 91% approval rating on Steam, its strength may be the dedicated community behind it, which is important when…
If you’ve ever been assigned the daunting task of planning a group event, you’ll understand how difficult it is thinking of fun, new and exciting things to do in Toronto that will entertain everyone. But the next time this job falls on your plate, let us make it easier with five suggestions for you to…
Sometimes to assess new technology you have to consider what’s familiar first. But by thinking about simple human movement when playing Cloudlands, a VR mini-golf experience, you can begin to understand the marvelous power of VR and how it can change the perception of something as simple as hitting a ball with a stick.
We’ve already discussed how mobile VR can be an option for your office or team event in this blog post, where we also covered the basics for setting up a mobile VR station and the equipment and environment that’s required. The number of stations available for offsite events cannot really match that of onsite, which means that…
The future! It’s so cool that people need reminders of the past. And how else to honor our violent past and its glorious architecture than to jump into anti-gravity suits and shoot each other mid-air in ancient countries! This entry in the multiplayer content series will tackle Skyfront, a 10 player arena shooter that to…
You may already be aware that VR entertainment, especially VR gaming, is spreading fast in the city and many big players in the entertainment industry are getting into the action. IMAX has introduced an IMAX VR center in the Scotiabank Theatre and Cineplex’s free roam VR at Rec Room is in the downtown core.
One cannot deny the success of escape rooms as an engaging team building activity and group bonding experience. As part of our ongoing content series, this post will go through Tales of Escape and point out why it is an excellent experience that can surpass the average escape room through the sheer size of the…
You may have heard people talking about VR and AR. And because sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably you might be left wondering what exactly are the differences and similarities. Don’t worry, because we’re going to take a closer look at the two today.
The future is now! Or so we’ve been saying for years. But of course if you want to believe that the distant future is a dystopian hole we’ve fallen into thanks to the technological utopia we’ve created, well then yes, the future is now!
We’ve discussed in previous posts why kids love virtual reality. But aside from the obvious entertainment it provides, the medium of VR can benefit the younger generation in the upcoming years, specifically in relation to job opportunities.
This week we’re going back in time to an adventure to the wild wild west! Back to a time when Cowbots fired their rayguns with deadly accuracy and spilling a drink can get you punched by an angry blue Alien.
Ever since our Virtual Reality Experience Center opened its doors to the public in April 2017, almost a third of our clientele have been kids. Children, aged 8 and above, were never our target audience and frankly, we were quite puzzled by the amount we had arriving at VRPlayin day in and day out. Although…
Art therapy is an amazing way to express yourself creatively, something that can help deal with stress, manage your feelings and even give you a new perspective on life. This week as part of the ongoing Multiplayer Content Series we will be talking about MasterpieceVR, developed by an amazing team in Ottawa, Canada.
As a parent in 2018, it can be harder than ever to find activities for your children that include a good mix of fun, education and innovation. We all know Virtual Reality is the future and it’s only a matter of time before it enters the mainstream. But because we believe our next generation should…
As a kid growing up in Eastern Europe, I had the cliche dream of becoming an Astronaut in a country with no space program at the time. Yet as time passed and Hollywood action movies made their way into the country, I became fascinated with the likes of Bruce Lee, Jean Claude Van Damme, Jackie…
We hear the term team building a lot when it comes to brainstorming ideas for company outings and events, but what exactly does it entail? Team building, as defined by Google, is “the action or process of causing a group of people to work together effectively as a team, especially by means of activities and…
Greetings brave adventurer! Today we form a party that will venture forth into mystical realms and push back the forces of evil that have shattered a once beautiful world! That’s right. Continuing with our multiplayer content series, this week we dive into the world of Trickster and get Medieval on some orcs!
In all honesty, a VR arcade might not be the best option for a first date. But if you’ve already established any sort of connection, been dating for months or married for years, a virtual reality date night is a fantastic idea for a new and exciting activity you can share together.
Does your company or team always have a Friday afternoon event in the office? Maybe you have a tavern, or you bring in entertainment from outside like Karaoke or even a painting class. If this is the case, you should be aware that you can add room-scaled VR to the list of things you can…
Due to the novelty of VR, those who are building games for it often come from the gaming world and as such tend to think in traditional game design. Though this has led to amazing experiences, innovation is usually minimal; people don’t risk doing something wildly different all that often, and that’s what I admire…
It’s fair to say that throughout its history, virtual reality has mainly been considered a singular experience, and hasn’t been thought of as a group activity. Whether it’s playing on your phone or at home on your PlayStation, for many, sliding on a VR headset is a solo expedition, a singular escape from the real…
Ever dreamed of being Legolas? Not Orlando Bloom, with his flowing long blond hair, but the archer, standing on a cliffside, raining down arrows as you defend Helms Deep? Well stop dreaming because now you can!
Not many people know that VRPlayin is not just a playground for individuals, but also a perfect place for your corporate or team events. Ever since its opening in April 2017, VRPlayin has encompassed the philosophy of continuous improvements to maximize customer delight.
I would not describe myself, for instance, as a competitive person, but when it comes to a team activity, project or objective, you’ll find me at the frontline bleeding for it and ensuring that my team has all they need to accomplish whatever objective we are after. This week we’re going to talk about Smashbox…
In some of our previous blog posts, we listed ways that Virtual Reality can promote team building activities through the content that is currently available. It’s the time of year to start brainstorming and planning corporate event ideas, and if you’ve already done the usual activities like go-karting, axe throwing, bowling, or simply just a…
Zombies! Whether it’s Night of the Dead, Resident Evil, The Walking Dead, iZombie or the Santa Clarita Diet, there’s just something about zombies that people love. Some may see them as dark reflections of ourselves or our society, while others are just removed enough from people to feel no regret for shooting them.
So let’s talk about one of the big issues surrounding VR today: motion sickness. It’s probably something that many of us have heard of or maybe even have had the misfortune of living through and is something that is now being associated with VR. But why?
Expanding on my previous blog post, we’re going to go into some depth on the Virtual Reality multiplayer options available at VRPlayin because of its popularity and the impact it has on its users. One of our most popular titles is Rec Room, and with good reason.
The trailer for Ready Player One, released two weeks ago, has sparked new interest in VR. And for those of you who may be wondering when we will have the virtual reality world like that depicted in the book, the short answer is a long, long time in the future. The truth is, to build…
A few weeks back I wrote a blog post about how VR is great for kids birthday parties, and as promised this post will expand on the topic of health risks. CNN recently released an article of their own touching on the matter, with a bleaker outlook that does not seem to take into account…
As we are a couple of weeks shy of 2018 and the famous virtual reality movie “Ready Player One” is about to be released, let’s visit where Virtual Reality stands as of today, summarize what happened in 2017, and checkout what’s coming early next year.
Being constantly on the floor at VRPlayin, giving people tours of our space, explaining to them what we do and what virtual reality is, one thing I keep hearing is “I don’t play video games” or “I’m not a gamer”. I’m begging you: please stop.
By now you’ve most likely heard of virtual reality and know something about it. But where and how did it all start to come to fruition? Read on below to get an understanding of the origins of VR and how it started to develop.
There’s nothing like having kids to show you just how unsafe the world can be. Whether it’s playing in a park or walking busy streets, there’s almost something around every corner, a truth highlighted even further when you’re trying to find an activity for your kids birthday where you don’t have to worry about their…
As a child, I would go to a place nearby and play console games. I was, in fact, so desperate to play these games that I would often barter with the the staff to get play time in exchange of bags of apples from the trees growing in my family’s garden. While I had a…
Activities Maybe you’ve been doing event coordination for a while and know that there are limited types of activities in the city, especially in the downtown core. You’ve tried out axe throwing, escape rooms, archery tag, and been to the ROM or Ontario Science Centre more than you care to remember. And of course, innumerable bars…
We often hear the term VR and Virtual Reality, but do most of us truly understand what it really is and where it stands today?
If you haven’t yet read our post on what goes into making a remarkable team building activity, you should take a look to get a better sense of how VRPlayin can make your event a success.
Is your office starting to run out of steam? Do you get the sense your team needs a break? If so, maybe it’s time for some fun team building activities!
It’s widely understood that the strongest friendships are often formed either through high school, university or military service, times when we’re forced to rely and depend on people and they on us. Whether it’s a friend, colleague, or even a stranger, the trauma of war, the insecurity of adolescence and the stress of deadlines each…
