Sandbox VR opens first VR arcade in EU

Image: Sandbox VR

Sandbox VR is one of the most popular VR arcade chains and will open its first location in Germany next week.

Sandbox VR was founded in California in 2016 and received a massive $80 million in venture capital by 2019.

Then came the pandemic. The company closed its US and Asian bases and had to file for bankruptcy some time later. However, Sandbox VR has caught itself and at the end of 2021 he has reported another investment of $37 million.

The company currently about 30 in America, Europe and Asia. More projects are underway, including in Germany.

Sandbox VR is coming to the EU

upon October 20, 2022 Sandbox VR’s first German location opens in Alsfeld, in the heart of Hesse. The town is located about 100 kilometers northeast of Frankfurt am Main.

Sandbox VR is coming to Alsfeld thanks to Torsten Schneider, who already has experience running escape rooms, laser tag arenas and Hologate arcades in the ‘next level’ universe. Schneider has been in talks with his Sandbox VR for his year. First EU place After extensive construction work. For now, Sandbox VR is only available in London.

of Total investment costs of 1.5 million euros, including moving to a new location and financing another future location. The technical equipment alone can cost up to €500,000.

“The biggest challenge is to build a system here in Germany that was previously only built in other countries around the world, find all the parts for it and convert them to fit in Germany. We did,” says Schneider.

Free roaming and whole body tracking

Alsfeld’s grounds have two play areas called “holodecks”, each sized 50 square meters. Each holodeck is up to 6 people At one time, you can freely move around the play area. The two groups will play separately, but in the future they will be able to cooperate and play against each other.

Sandbox VR is based on a sophisticated camera system that tracks the ball on the player’s body, sending every movement to the VR game. All movements of fingers, hands and feet can be seen in real time in virtual reality.

Visitors wear vests for tactile feedback and, depending on the game, Weapon, Sword, or Shield, which is also spatially tracked. They carry their laptops in small backpacks and send their movement coordinates to a server.

The site offers 6 different VR experiences, each lasting approximately 35 minutes (not including onboarding). Coming out in October are two of his zombie games, ‘Deadwood Valley’ and ‘Deadwood Mansion’, where you survive a zombie invasion.

“UFL” is a street-fighting style game, but in “Ambersky 2088” you have to fight your way through a futuristic dystopia. “Curse of Davy Jones” is a comic book style set on a pirate ship. According to Schneider, the highlight is the “Star Trek: Discovery” experience. More games will be added in the coming years.

Sandbox VR: more locations planned in Germany

The Alsfeld location is just the beginning for Sandbox VR. “First of all, more locations are planned in Germany.With us, two more locations are planned in Hesse. We would like to go further in the direction of another location in the south, perhaps the Mannheim and Heidelberg catchment, by then we can build the necessary know-how to spread the sandbox from Alsfeld across Europe ‘ says Schneider.

the price is 50 euros per person Weekends but weekdays are cheaper. The whole experience including the tutorial lasts him an hour. The price includes a compilation of the best VR gaming moments mixed with reality that visitors can take home.

Sandbox VR opens October 17, 5:00 p.m. That evening you will also have the opportunity to learn about the technology and of course test sandbox VR. Schneider recommends booking seats in advance by phone or online.

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