VR Land – a next-generation virtual reality experience – is tipped to be the must-see showstopper at the upcoming Sydney Royal Easter Show.
VR Land marks the first time that a paid virtual reality ride has been available at the Easter Show, providing an exciting look into the future of fairground entertainment.
The installation at the Sydney Royal Easter Show will consist of 19 stations that combine a virtual reality headset with a luxurious ‘egg cabin’ that adds surround sound, hydraulic movement and vibrations.
The addition of full surround sound and 360-degree motion makes VR Land the most realistic virtual reality experience currently available in Australia.
What is VR Land looking to achieve?
Boey Fan, Executive Director of E2 Media, said VR Land was a premium entertainment experience that was helping to bring virtual reality to a broader and more mainstream audience.
“’Virtual reality’ is one of those buzzwords that many Australians have heard of, but not necessarily experienced first-hand.
“By making VR Land available at the Easter Show, we’re giving mums and dads, along with the kids, the opportunity to try virtual reality for the first time in a safe and controlled environment.
“More than 850,000 visitors are expected at the Sydney Royal Easter Show this year, and we’re expecting VR Land’s eye-catching egg cabins to be a popular destination for people of all ages,” she said.
While contemporary video games and 3D movies have added an extra dose of realism to multimedia experiences, virtual reality has made it even easier to suspend disbelief with its use of 360-degree video, wide viewing angles and sophisticated head-tracking technology.
What sets VR Land apart?
VR Land takes this level of immersion even further with the addition of movement and surround sound audio, tricking the brain into believing that the experience is real. If the viewer is going down a steep incline on a rollercoaster, for instance, the egg cabin moves accordingly to create the illusion of weightlessness.
With 25 virtual reality experiences to choose from (including content from existing VR platforms such as Oculus), customers can enjoy everything from roller coasters and flying to shooting games and horror movie scenarios. Popular gaming franchises on offer include Minecraft, Fruit Ninja and Avatar. Each experience lasts between 2.5 minutes and 8 minutes.
The majority of the pods are single stations, however there will be a selection of double and triple pods available that enable couples and groups to enjoy the same virtual reality experience simultaneously.
VR Land’s eggs cabins can be used by people of any age, however the installation also includes toddler-friendly stations for kids aged 3-4. This consists of handheld VR goggles and a large screen for parents to see the content being displayed through the goggles.
“We have big ambitions for the virtual reality market in Australia. VR Land is our first endeavour into commercialising this exciting new technology, but we’re looking to launch into other verticals in the near future,” said Ms Fan.
VR Land is exhibit XGO004, located on Olympic Boulevard about 500m from the main entrance. It is opposite the Daily Telegraph Paddock and on the outskirts of the Kids Carnival area.
It will be running from 6-19 April between 10.00am and 7.30pm.
