Imagine this: You’re dropped into a virtual universe, where your sole purpose is to play to the beat of a high-tempo song using Star Wars-style lightsabers. You slash through blocks that represent individual beats, all the while trying not to get killed by oncoming electrical walls.
After Virtual Reality Stop owner Summer DeJean tightened my headset and told me to press “start,” this was my reality.
In mid-February, DeJean joined forces with City Slice Pints + Pizza owner Stephen Hightower to create a space at the restaurant where friends, families and gamers could play virtual reality games in between bites of pizza and a few beers.
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“Not everyone can afford to have a [virtual reality game system] in their house,” DeJean says. “Plus, you’re limited to the games you can play based on the space you have at home. That’s why places like this are good because people can play together, have great pizza, not worry about breaking anything at home and make it a whole event.”
The Virtual Reality Stop is located in the back of the restaurant. Two stations are roped off from the restaurant. Each can accommodate one person at a time, and people can play individually or in pairs. Each station includes a headset, headphones and two controllers.
There are 50 activities on the game system, including sports, action, fantasy and even escape room and zombie apocalypse experiences. Players can choose from any one of the games available and make game recommendations for future additions.
During my visit, I played it safe and stuck to what I knew. Growing up, I played video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, so when scrolling through the list of game options I chose a rhythm-based game, Beat Saber.
What’s so mind-blowing about virtual reality games is how your entire view is blocked by the headset. I couldn’t see my feet or hands. I could only see, feel and hear the digital world surrounding me. As I turned my head, the virtual scene expanded like a 3D panorama.
Once the game started, I moved my controllers to the beat of the music, hacking through the red and blue cubes like I used to do playing Fruit Ninja. I was better than I thought. After about three minutes of slashing cubes and ducking and dodging quickly approaching walls, I finished the game. By the end, I already wanted to dive into another virtual experience.
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Prices to play the virtual reality games vary by the length of time users want to play. Reservations start at $15 for 15 minutes and go up to $140 for three hours. If the station isn’t booked back-to-back, players can extend their reservation times, DeJean says. Users must be 12 years or older to play, and children younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
The Virtual Reality Shop at City Slice is open Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Head to City Slice’s website to reserve your station. City Slice is at 124 W. Chimes St.