Sandbox VR

Albert Wang, Bhargav Maniyar, and I played Amber Sky at Sandbox VR in San Mateo. It was a lot more fun than I’d expected. Being able to play in real-time in the same place with other players I could see in game as well as having a large usable space that I could run around in made for an incredibly immersive experience.

We had sensors on our wrists, ankles, and head. We also had body vests that would vibrate when we’d get hit as well as when there were environmental changes. Fans would provide “wind” to further add to the experience of moving through space. It was an adrenaline rush, and we were able to work together as a team to battle enemies and protect each other through the game.

It was a little less than $50/person for a 30 minute game. Well worth it, and we all agreed that we’d definitely love to go and play it again.

One thing we didn’t know was that we could interact with the environment even more than we’d expected. For instance, we were told afterwards that we could “kick” objects in the game. We really aren’t used to being able to do so much in the virtual realm, so I think it can take some getting used to for new players to get used to considering all the options that exist for them.