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OREM — At a new virtual reality arcade in University Mall, you can fight off zombies or enjoy a nice game of mini golf — all while standing in a 10-by-10-foot space.
VR Junkies opened its doors for the first time Friday and McKay Christensen, one of the owners of the arcade, said the location was packed through the weekend. It is one of the first arcades of its kind in the United States.
“The (VR) systems are still fairly expensive to put in your home right now, so we wanted to expose a lot more people to it just because it is incredibly fun — and incredible period,” Christensen said.
Currently, there are seven games available at the arcade. Each game uses the HTC Vive and players can move around freely in a 10-by-10-foot space while reacting to the games. Christensen said it’s hard to explain the immersive experience, which involves hand controllers and is completely hands on.
“You move. You duck,” he said. “I think that’s really what blows people’s minds when they walk in. It’s like, ‘Holy cow. This feels like real life.’”
Some games can be played with multiple people, while others are single-player. One of VR Junkies’ most popular games so far is a zombie shooter, according to Christensen.
“We get guys in here all of the time who are screaming and running,” he said. “It’s a terrifying game.”
Visitors to the arcade pay by time. Games vary in length, but it costs $5-10 for the first 5-10 minutes, $25 for half an hour and $45 for a full hour. Christensen said multiple can use the time. The arcade will also be releasing a summer pass sometime this week.
As part of its opening promotions, Christensen said the arcade is running a special where people can try out the virtual reality equipment for free for a few minutes if they post about the arcade on social media.
Contact the author at ncrofts@ksl.com or find her on Twitter.
