Virtual Reality Arcade?!

We recently had the opportunity to visit a place that offers an experience that was new to us, and we are busting at the seams with excitement to share it with you!  Have you ever been to a virtual reality arcade?  Have you ever even heard of a virtual reality arcade?  Let me start by saying that whatever you think it is, there is an excellent chance that it is even better.  Oh, yeah!

VReX Virtual Reality Arcade

VReX Virtual Reality Arcade is a hidden gem at Myrtle Beach.  Children and adults can experience thrills, relaxation, or even some exercise at VReX.  You could stop in for a quick, fifteen minutes of entertainment or spend hours racking up the fun!  We will get back to that in a minute, though.

When you walk through the doors of VReX Virtual Reality Arcade, you are greeted by a bunch of…open rooms?  Yes.  That is one of the wonders of this place.  You start in a simple room and then are virtually transported to any number of wonderful places with amazing experiences.

You might be interested to know that virtual reality has come a long way.  When some folks think of virtual reality, they think that it is a 3-D experience.  At VReX, though, virtual reality is so much more than that.  What you will see there is actually two separate images that make it seem like you are at a completely different place in person.  You really need to experience it to see how cool that looks when you are immersed in the game.

Children and Adults Like VReX

After you sign in and get to meet Joe, the friendly and engaging owner of VReX Virtual Reality Arcade, you will get to go through a book that has lots and lots of games listed.  Choose what you want to play.  Joe will get you set up with your virtual reality goggles and start the game for you.

There are child friendly games available, yet if a child is too small, the goggles might not fit.  Ages eight through adult are recommended, though younger children have been able to play.  Of course, adults must be present with children.

Next Joe will show you how to use your controllers.  Once you get the hang of them, they start to feel pretty natural, like extensions of your own hands.

As a side note, Joe cleans the equipment after each person finishes playing.  As it is important to us and to so many, we will note that VReX Virtual Reality Arcade is a clean place.

Now On to Some Games

As promised, let us get back to the focus of VReX, which is the entertainment!  You might be excited to see that, in addition to lots of new games, VReX also has some of the classics that we enjoyed years ago.  Building games, strategy games, first person shooter games, and I even got to travel virtually!

Experience the World

Google Earth is what I chose to experience first.  To start, I was looking at a view from space, floating above the earth, looking at the sun in the distance.  Each open room has a television screen outside of the play area so that other folks can see what you are seeing.  Of course, being in the game is incredibly more stunning than what is seen outside of the room on the television screen, but here is an image of where I was to start in the game.

Being afraid of heights, I chose to sit down.  Do not laugh at me!  Once I was securely sitting, it was pretty neat flying around above the earth and traveling to different places.  Seriously, words cannot describe to you how fascinating this is in person!

I visited a beautiful waterfall in Germany and saw the Statue of Liberty in New York.  I soared over mountains, traveled by a village in Greece, and saw so many places that I have not seen yet in person.  It was fascinating!

Reminisce with Some Classics

Do you remember a game called Minesweeper, from back in the day?  This game was created in 1989, though it is said to have origins back to the 60s.

VReX Virtual Reality Arcade has that game, and you can play it in person, standing right there on the squares!  My husband got a kick out of playing this blast from the past.

In the end, Richard was pretty psyched that he conquered the virtual reality version of that old game and won!

Boy jumped into another room and started with a game that originated in the early 90s called Hexion.  This game offered good target practice in a safe environment.

The Technology

Let us pause here to say that if you fancy yourself to be a computer geek, then what really sets VReX apart is the hardware.  Joe has built each gaming rig with VR in mind.  All of these rigs are custom built with optimized GPUs, CPUs and cooling systems.  And they look AWESOME.  Each unit has its own HTC VIVE VR setup, and the cabling is plenty long enough to have full range of motion.  If you have never experienced the VIVE, it is light and comfortable, and when viewing the stutter and lag free content Joe’s gaming rigs supply, then this is a fantastic VR experience.

Games for All Ages

After he finished Hexion, Boy wanted to try another activity, so he jumped into another game called Job Simulator.  In this game, you could choose your career and then do what you needed to do to complete your job.  Someone could choose to be a chef, a car mechanic, an office worker, or something else.

Boy enjoyed playing that game for a while, and then he gave it two thumbs up!

Two Player Game

While Boy was enjoying his second game, Richard and I hopped over to a game that we could play together.  Yes, you can even team up for some games!  This particular game was pretty intense.  It was a first person shooter game where we teamed up to fight off the enemy.

In addition to getting your heart pumping, this game also gave us a bit of a workout.  We both needed to cool off and catch our breath after this one!

On Your Own or Host a Party

We could go on and on about VReX Virtual Reality Arcade.  Seriously, if you are anywhere within driving distance of the Myrtle Beach area, it is worth taking the time to visit this place and experience something like most people have probably not experienced before.  Even if you are not in the area, maybe you can get a few friends together and head to the beach for a VReX party.

What?  A party, you say?  Absolutely!  You can host a private party with VReX Virtual Reality arcade for whatever reason you would like!  Birthday parties, guys night out, gals night out, office parties, team building parties, or even a party because it is the middle of the week can all provide lively activity that is sure to leave you and your group smiling and talking as you leave.

Would we go back to VReX again?  In a heartbeat.  As a matter of fact, my family is already talking about another trip to Myrtle Beach, and this place is on the list of things to do.

Now it is Your Turn!

Call ahead and make your reservations today at 843-293-8739.  Yes, you can simply show up.  Reservations are not required, yet they only take a quick telephone call and can save you time if there is a wait when you arrive.  After you make your reservation, set your map to take you to 4620 Dick Pond Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588.

Thank you, Joe, for sharing your unique and entertaining business with us.  The only down side about having gotten to experience VReX is that now we know what a virtual reality arcade is like.  Haha.  We will have to wait until our next visit to grab our controllers again and jump in for some more exciting fun!

Who among your friends or family do you think would be the most enthusiastic about visiting VReX Virtual Reality Arcade?