Velocity Garage startup Mirage VR recently opened a hyperreality experience centre in Kitchener for community members to experience virtual reality together.
According to Mirage VR co-founder Chuang Li, the company creates “multi-player VR systems and experiences. The things we focus on [are] social interactions, as well as the highest level of immersion.”
Unlike other VR systems, Mirage VR is an interactive multi-player VR system that uses full-body tracking.
This allows players to see their hands and legs, as well as other players’ movements in the game.
“Other VR experiences, centres, or arcades tend to have multiple stations that are really great for single player experiences. They may have multi-player games, but while you’re playing, you’re still by yourself in your own physical space,” Li said.
“Whereas this system allows you to play multi-player games but actually be in the same physical space and physically interact with other players.”
The idea of Mirage VR came from Li’s initial desire to create an escape room.
“We wanted to create something that people can escape and experience, but something that’s better or newer,” Li said.
“We stumbled on the idea of creating a virtual reality escape room, which is still part of our experience — the escape aspect and the team-building aspect of an escape room is part of our current game.”
The current games allow for two to four players in two different maps. Players customize their characters and work together to fight waves of enemies and a final boss.
During the game, characters can interact and communicate with each other. Although the current play boundary is small, Mirage VR is looking to expand it to allow more movement.
Reservations are available at miragevr.ca.
