The upright kiosk remains a popular genre for VR deployment, especially for venues that want to dip into the immersive waters but do not have the space or deep pockets for a larger deployment.
Leading up to 2020, we saw an incredible pivot in virtual reality development towards what we had labelled self-service “VR Kiosks.” Best described as “Arcadified” VR, the concept allows VR to be fielded as a claimed “unattended” self-service VR kiosk, appealing to the widest possible selection of amusement operators beyond just the larger chains.
The genre of upright systems is not a new concept — we could chart the deployment of upright kiosks with a VR headset tethered to them back to examples such as “VR Towers” from Periscape VR in 2017, or the mk2 VR pod systems of the same period. The latest generation of this approach is more sophisticated, now including automated retractable tether systems for ease of deployment of the VR headset, including, in some cases, cleaning when retracted, as well as a higher fidelity of experiences on offer.
This latest interest in this approach was kicked off by the impact of the VRsenal “Beat Saber Arcade” VR kiosks — the stylish lines of the cabinet and the sophisticated retraction system turned a lot of heads. However, with the cessation of Beat Games allowing commercial usage of their content, VRsenal moved to another game experience which employed the system.
Kiosk VR innovation continues
Last year, the company launched “Vader Immortal — Lightsaber Dojo,” a Star Wars VR experience which comprised all the simplicity of the VR kiosks and employed a well-known IP developed in partnership with Nomadic and ILMxLAB.
Another VR kiosk system that turned some heads back in 2019 was that from VRLeo. The U.S. agents were representing the “Leo,” developed by the Chinese manufacturer. The system was a fully automated and self-service VR kiosk that included a unique UV-C light sterilization system when the headset was fully retracted after every operation.
The company made a splash at CES 2020 with the system and also attended the Amusement Expo of that year, but had gone quiet after the full impact of the global health crisis.
Chinese VR kiosk interpretations
Several Chinese manufacturers have created their own interpretations of VR kiosks. One of those is Leke VR, with the company having released its own version of the platform with the “VR Arcade Machine.”
Described as a self-service VR game machine, the system employs the common features of a retractable headset (in this case configured to the Oculus Rift-S) and a large touchscreen. The system supports the “VRLe” platform for payment/management and is proposing some 500 titles available. How much of this is China facing is unknown, as are the Western rollout plans.
The Chinese manufacturers seem to have followed a shared design for their self-service VR game machines. As seen with the Owatch “VR Magic Box” that was first revealed in 2019, the platform is aimed at being simple to operate by amusement based venues and offers the players a 55-inch touchscreen display and retractable headset system with 3Glases S2 and HTC Vive Cosmos versions.
Content is an important aspect of these systems, and the company promotes nearly 20 titles, although Western licenses were not known. One other common element these systems seem to employ is the QR payment option, a growing element across much of Chinese amusement.
Another of those Chinese manufacturers is Movie Power, working in collaboration with NetVios, a joint venture between NetEase, the Chinese online service and gaming provider, and U.S. consumer game studio Survios. The companies have released their “NetVios Mini” — a conventional interpretation of the self-service upright VR kiosk.
The system uses the retracted headset method which also includes a UV cleaning process. The system was rolled out at the AAA’21 event, and it was confirmed that it would include Survios titles such as “Raw Data,” alongside a version of “Beat Saber.” However, information regarding if this system is ever intended for sale outside of Asia has not been revealed.
Var Live enters the fray
Asian developer Var Live has released its own standalone VR console, offering a shooting game experience with the “Var Box” running six mini games, including “Double Tap,” “Battle Arena” and “Zombie Street.”
The retracted self-service VR kiosk platform also includes an Oculus Rift-S headset and adds a special 3D printed gun interface to the action, all supported by a large touchscreen display.
The company has deployed the kiosk in several of its VR arcade venues across the territory, as well as through a partnership deal with movie chain Golden Screen Cinemas. Parent company Var Entertainment is operating over 20 LBE facilities internationally, which also intend to deploy this platform.
Not all the upright VR kiosks follow the same design formula, and one new entrant into the field from China is “VR Agent” from 3MindWave. The company has taken a novel approach, with the headset combined into the pistol grip that the player wields.
The display portion of a 3Glasses S2 headset is combined into the weapon, which is all mounted on a retracting tether system, similar to others in this category. The self-service kiosk allows four cabinets to be linked together in network play.
The system debuted at AAA’20 on the Wahlap booth, which is thought to be representing this system – although there is no word on Western release.
VR ticket redemption, e-sports
Moving out of the global lockdown we have seen new investment in this approach for VR moving into amusement. Benchmark Games International also announced a collaboration with VR specialist BoxBlaster for their latest development. The joint companies released what they called “VR-Xperience,” a VR ticket redemption game which offers a one-player upright VR kiosk with a chance for players to use a tethered VR headset towards winning redemption tickets.
The drive towards developing a suitable platform to meet the amusement operators’ needs continues apace. VRstudios announced the launch of its “Fury” self-service VR modular kiosk. Conceived from the start to offer cost-effective operation, the system is acting as a gateway into e-sports. The system has been developed to be modularized and supports the new “Real-Sports e-sports” content such as the new release, “Hoops Madness” as a sports booth. The system has also been developed so operators can create their own e-sports programs to draw players and spectators.
The concept of upright kiosks offering a play-and-go immersive entertainment solution is not as new an idea as many would like to pretend. The basic design concept of the VR kiosk borrows heavily from the “Kimera” system, developed by Immersive Technologies in 1995.
This system would go on to greatly influence the design of the Global VR “Vortek” system that included the suspended head-mount display, offering a simple amusement deployment for the rudimentary VR technology of the day. This is a popular form factor that is being resurrected in the current generation of VR kiosk systems we see today.
The upright kiosk is an extremely popular genre for VR deployment, especially for venues that want to dip a toe into the immersive waters but do not have the space or deep pockets for a larger deployment.
The issues following the global health crisis remain and, as with all VR hardware, there is a need for operator overwatch. While many of the above systems include UV light sterilization, an occasional inspection and wipe down can never be ignored for public-facing hardware. Another issue is appropriate content — the game experiences still rule, no matter the hardware, and the need to find the right game for the audience drives many of the purchasing decisions.