Thinker Belle

As thoughts grow in time

VR Lab SS2: Experiencing Gaming in Virtual Reality

Awkward looking but you'll get pass that.

"The future is now," said my colleague Sydney when I told her about my recent gaming experience at one of VR Lab outlet located in SS2, Petaling Jaya. I still vividly remember how my younger self used to imagine a far-in-the-future world where virtual reality is possible and commercially accessible for normal people to use. All those sci-fi films made me wonder how great it would be to experience something thats even better than the traditional flat screen 2D entertainment world that we are already used to. Little that I know at that time that my imagination would turn into a reality way faster than I initially thought it would be and that I am lucky enough to be experiencing it in my youth.


Before I go further, here is a little overview of what virtual reality(VR) means (according to Wikipedia) for your better understanding:
Virtual reality (VR) typically refers to computer technologies that use software to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that replicate a real environment (or create an imaginary setting), and simulate a user's physical presence in this environment. VR has been defined as "...a realistic and immersive simulation of a three-dimensional environment, created using interactive software and hardware, and experienced or controlled by movement of the body"[1] or as an "immersive, interactive experience generated by a computer".[2]

A person using virtual reality equipment is typically able to "look around" the artificial world, move about in it and interact with features or items that are depicted on a screen or in goggles. Most 2016-era virtual realities are displayed either on a computer monitor, a projector screen, or with a virtual reality headset (also called head-mounted display or HMD).

Even though I am not a frequent gamer, I would say that I have plenty of experiences when it comes to games. Being the only daughter in the family, gaming is one of the best way for me to connect with my brothers and honestly I don't mind it either. As a matter of fact, I do enjoy playing games with them, although I am not really fond the random bickering among us when someone did a lousy job in the game world (cause most of the time it's me). My favourite type of game? MMROPG because it kind of help us bond in the 'virtual world' while completing quests and defeating monsters. There was one time, just a few years back, we were so into the game 'Maple Story' that all we did during the whole semester break was leveling up (day and night). Sigh, that was the good old days. Working life has undeniably reduced my gaming time by a whole lot but I still enjoy them occasionally. And since my siblings are still into gaming, I'd say that I'm pretty knowledgeable about some games that are still 'in' at the moment. 

Sensors helps to calibrate the active space and detect your movement in VR

Anyway, back to virtual reality. Basically, VR makes you feel like you are 'in the world' instead of just 'seeing the world'. Thanks to it, gaming experience for example has become even more engaging and immersive. If you are playing a game using a normal gaming console connected to your laptop or television, your field of vision (and reaction) are limited to the direction where your screen is showing. Let say you are playing a zombie-apocalypse themed shooting game, even if a crowd zombies is coming behind you (part where you can't see them), you can only shoot them if you navigate to turn your field of vision to the area you wanted. With virtual reality, the engagement is not just unidirectional; you can actually shoot both ways at the same time even when you are looking at just one side at a time. As if you are really doing it in real life, and that ability makes gaming experience even more exciting than it's already it. Gosh, I explaining this is hard, I hope I made sense. 

Basically your eyes in gameplay

That is why my experience at VR Lab SS2 is so amazing! I was so enjoying myself so much to the point that it gets a little addicting (and competitive). It may take you a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the gears which includes a pair of hand held console and an HTC Vice VR headset (which last I checked on their website costs a whopping RM5799 per set) but once you did, it'll be such a fun experience that one whole hour might not be sufficient for you. I tried plenty of games that day and I would say a action/horror genre is still one of the best for those who loves games. The adrenaline rush is no joke and to be honest, it kind of make you sweat a lot as you need to move around to clear the missions. Other game genre are also available, such as family-friendly games, strategy games and sports games. You don't have to worry about lags as the devices at VR Lab Malaysia are equipped with a high-spec graphic cards that are able to cater the requirement in order to ensure an enjoyable experience for their customer. We all know how frustrating it is when you encounter a lag mid-game. 

Selection of games available on their Steam account & yes, you can play Dota 2 in VR

If you are not a game person, you can opt to do something else too! Their virtual painting experience is also really interesting as you can now paint in 3D, alternatively you can also try to watch a movie through VR or opt to virtually visit another country with just a click of a mouse (who needs passport these days right? LOL). Their rate is really affordable as they charge by hour (based on which room you opt for); single or double (VIP). One single room are able to accomodate up to four people. For example, if the rate for a single room is RM50/hour, a person only need to pay RM12.50 each to book. If you rather play in multiplayer mode or want it so two people can play at the same time, VR Lab also provide VIP room for your convenience. I'm tempted to get the VIP room the next time I go with my bros, that way we can clear the levels together (and I can get help when a swarm of zombies trying to kill me when I'm out of ammo HAHHA) but if you are alone, you can still multiplay with other players around the globe!


Above video is showing the VR experience inside a green screen room. The scene is what others can see through the monitor. To experience this new & exciting technology yourself, check out their website www.vrlab.my and Facebook VR Lab now for more information on booking, or you can visit any VR Lab outlets below:

- SS15
- Bandar Sunway
- Manjalara Kepong
- Kota Damansara
- SS2, Petaling Jaya
- Wangsa Maju
- Publika

P/S: Thank you once again to VR Lab Malaysia for my first ever virtual reality gaming experience. I have a feeling that this is not the last time I'm visiting. 

Till next post, toodles~! ♥ミ

4 Comments

  1. Glad that you enjoy! It looks a very complete review and hope to see you soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Carina, thanks for dropping by! Hope to see you around too :)

      Delete
  2. However, playing on a gaming laptop doesn't mean you're compromising on the quality of games. https://www.gameroe.com/gaming-laptops-under-500

    ReplyDelete

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