Out-of-home VR attraction chain The VOID may soon reach a city near you. The company recently announced plans to introduce 25 new locations through 2022, more than doubling its current footprint.

Just a week prior to the July 25th announcement, the company announced that it had officially opened three new entertainment center locations in Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Washington D.C., totalling in 13 ‘premium’ locations (out of 16 permanent locations) now open to the public.

The Void offers multi-user VR experiences where players wear headsets and backpacks while physically walking around a ‘stage’ which is layered with the virtual reality experience. Real haptics like shaking floors, gusts of wind, and even smells are used to increase immersion.

VR experiences at The Void include recognizable IP from Wreck-It Ralph and Star Wars, likely as a direct result of the company being chosen for inclusion in Disney’s 2017 accelerator. Other content a Ghostbusters experience and a steampunk-themed collaboration with Ninja Theory, with more promised experiences from Marvel and Disney on the way.

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Inside 'Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire', the Latest VR Attraction from The VOID

The result of a new partnership with major commercial real estate company Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), The Void will launch 25 new permanent locations through 2022.

“The Void aims to elevate the perception of how consumers currently see and interact with virtual reality,” states The Void Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Curtis Hickman, in the company’s announcement.

The Void currently operates 16 locations in 11 states across the US, and one location in Dubai. The upcoming locations are slated to begin appearing across California, Illinois, New Jersey, and parts of Europe. Not all 25 upcoming locations have been announced yet, but more information is available on the company’s ‘locations’ page.

“Locations opening this summer mark the beginning of rapid growth and continued expansion for The Void,” the company’s official release statement continues. “The locations will be launching with Star WarsTM: Secrets of the Empire, the award-winning experience by ILMxLAB and Lucasfilm and Ralph Breaks VR by ILMxLAB created in collaboration with Walt Disney Animation Studios.”

While initially beginning operations in 2015 at a testing facility in Pleasant Grove, Utah, It seems as though the company’s original plan for a ‘flagship’ location in the same city has yet to pull through. Given the recent announcements and fresh partnership, however, the public may finally see that development reach finality.

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Gabriel Moss
  • Jerald Doerr

    Anyone play this yet?

  • Adrian Meredith

    Had a great time at the star wars one despite its many flaws (way too short, shoddy tracking) this medium has huge potential.

    • AnnoyedAnonymous

      Can you explain the problems with the “shoddy tracking”?

      • Immersive_Computing

        Front of helmet has Leap Motion for tracking hands, its been very good when i’ve tried it more recently.

        For players and weapons it’s Optitrack, any tracking issues, it’s being occluded; awkward poses, lack of cameras to optimize coverage or too many tracked objects overlapping in small volume.

        In some Optitrack experiences I’ve tried I’ve had accurate tracking, in others such poor tracking that other players appeared to jump all over the map and latency, depends on setup.

        • AnnoyedAnonymous

          We used to use Vicon cameras for our setups. Yes, poor calibration and that pesky sunlight can spoil one’s day..

  • Immersive_Computing

    “Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire” was fantastic, I went through twice. As a solo player the 2nd time, tracking was solid, I picked up a blaster in each hand and Optitrack had no problems allowing me to use each blaster independently. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d34dc7bafdc7046e52ae572f37e4f08253717508246aab5f813cf8947635b92a.jpg

  • Anonymous

    I really want to try this, and work within walking distance of the Pleasant Grove location, so it’s a little frustrating that it’s still not open to the public.

  • I did the Wreck the Internet and Star Wars one in Orlando, both were fun.

  • JesuSaveSouls

    Bring it to Connecticut

  • GmailIsDown

    How does it compare to Sandbox VR?

  • Trenix

    Honestly, watching the previews and checking duration and pricing, I don’t think this is worth it. From the previews, it looks like poorly put together games. Also for the same price, I can go to an escape room with actors and have a longer experience. Even an VR arcade is cheaper and last an hour. For 30 minutes, this isn’t worth getting out of my way for, especially since you’re required to book ahead of time.