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Blast boredom at the best virtual reality spots in Perth!
While we’re not on board with Thanos’ snap half the universe out of existence’ plan, we’ll admit: he had a point when he said ‘reality is often disappointing.’
That’s why when the VR wave rolled into Perth, we were among the first to charge into gaming hubs and escape rooms, where reality wasn’t a drag. One minute, we were cutting through an undead horde; the next, we were defusing a bomb on Mars.
If you want to experience the same thing, or maybe something different, like slaying a dragon or escaping a mad scientist, the locations below are out of this world.
New Era VR-Arrival
From new_era_vr_arrival
Address: 3/786 Albany Hwy, East Victoria Park
Contact Details: +61 426 837 001
Operating Hours:
- Wed to Fri – 4 pm to 8 pm
- Sat – 10 am to 8 pm
- Sun – 10 am to 6 pm
Prices (per player):
- 30 mins – $34.50
- 60 mins – $51.50
- 90 mins – $72.50
New Era VR-Arrival is a fitting name. For starters, their setup is next-level, owing to the room-scale VR, which tracks the players’ movement in real space.
That means the interactions are extra intuitive and immersive, especially with the HTC Vive Pro kit in play, often considered a bang-on headset for gaming. We gave it a whirl, and the promises were true; it pumped the immersion levels of free-choice games.
Speaking of games, their catalogue is chock-full of goodies, primarily dinosaur-, zombie-, and robot-themed ones. Virtual escape rooms and ‘roaming’ experiences are also in the books.
| Tip: You can request group discounts. Ring 6153 1883 or email them at [email protected] for the deets. |
Ready Team One
From readyteamone
Address: Murray Street Mall, Level 1/255 Murray St
Contact Details: +61 8 6245 9841
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
- Wed – 8:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Thu to Sat – 8:30 am to 7 pm
- Sun – 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Price (per player): Around $66 – 40 mins
One major bit I love about Ready Team One (RTO) is that they understand that cables and backpacks drag the immersion down. Their solution? A Hollywood-style and full-body tracking system for quicker, team-based games, all set in a 200 sqm arena.
If you played First Contact, a self-developed title (all their games are), you’ll get the hype. This sci-fi shooter game with puzzles even bagged them the XR Game of the Year!
That said, it’s not RTO’s only banger. TR Apocalypse and Genesis have tons of fans, too, usually folks who clear their minds by popping zombie noggins.
| Tip: You can buy VR gear here. |
Dinos Alive: The Immersive Experience – Perth
Address: 30 Beaufort St
Operating Hours:
- Mon, Wed to Thu – 9 am to 6 pm
- Fri to Sat – 9 am to 7 pm
- Sun – 9 am to 6 pm
Price (per player): 45 mins to 75 mins – $19.90
You’d have to be a rare sort not to enjoy the wild VR experience of Dinos Alive. I mean, seriously, if interacting with a freaking T. rex or velociraptor doesn’t fill you with adrenaline, you might be extinct inside.
That’s not the only mint feature of this spot, either. After taking off your headset, you can dive into a video-mapped, 360-degree virtual aquarium overflowing with small prehistoric fishes and sea monsters that existed millions of years ago (thankfully).
As a bonus, you can stroll past moving and life-sized replicas of dinos. Inquisitive sprogs can also sign into the mini palaeontologist experience, which is more hands-on than a YouTube video.
| Tip: Get the app. You can use it to scan the dinos or book tickets. |
Glowing Rooms 3D Mini Golf & VR Escape Rooms
From glowing_rooms_australia
Address: 1 Emplacement Cres, Hamilton Hill
Contact Details: +61 8 6244 5590
Operating Hours:
- Tue to Thu – 2 pm to 9 pm
- Fri – 2 pm to 10 pm
- Sat – 10 am to 10 pm
- Sun – 10 am to 9 pm
Price (per player): $48 – 60 mins
By no means are old-school escape rooms fading away, but we’d be capping if we say that virtual ones, like those in Glowing Rooms, aren’t a blast. The cutting-edge audio/visuals, unlimited settings, and lack of physical restrictions are simply game-changing.
For example, their Ubisoft-developed games like Escape the Lost Pyramid and Beyond Medusa’s Gate took us to ancient civilisations, Animus-style. Yup, we’re saying their experiences are set in the Assassin’s Creed universe.
The moderate-to-hard difficulty and team-based setups are pros for us, too. Unlike many VR games where you can solo a swarm of aliens or undead, the rooms here require wits and teamwork, lest you want to be humbled.
| Tip: Parking space is rarely an issue. |
Virtual Room Perth
From virtualroom_australia
Address: 2/25 Collie St, Fremantle
Contact Details: +61 8 6114 0429
Operating Hours:
- Mon, Thu – 12 pm to 8 pm
- Fri to Sun – 10 am to 10 pm
Price (per player): 40 mins to 50 mins – $55
Similar to the previous entry, Virtual Room isn’t for lone wolves, with their escape rooms built for crews of 2–4 players. This spot, however, has more games in its 9 m² free-roam room, including challenges that an 8-year-old kid could probably solve.
Time Travel is the experience we enjoyed most due to its insane graphics and time/dimension-hopping mechanics. Plus, it’s split into two chapters, giving us more reasons to extend our stay.
Not your jam? Well, good thing they have zombie, party (for up to 12 players), arrow-shooting, fantasy, and retro games.
| Tip: They’re an in-demand destination. Book online (not over the phone) to lock in your sched. |
VRACE
From vrace___
Address: 120 Hector St W, Osborne Park
Contact Details: +61 413 534 484
Operating Hours:
- Tue to Wed – 11 am to 6 pm
- Thu to Fri – 11 am to 8 pm
- Sat – 9 am to 9 pm
- Sun – 10 am to 5 pm
Prices (per player):
- 30 mins – $59
- 1 hour – $99
- 2 hours – $174
VRACE, a full-motion racetrack, let me be Mark Webber…even just for a short while. That’s all thanks to their 6-degree simulators, featuring ultra-realistic physics and sounds.
Another selling point is the availability of over 160 sought-after racecars, which, honestly, would take me a lifetime to afford. Models I’ve ridden include those from McLaren, Bentley, Formula E, and Mercedes.
Of course, the immersion levels would be lacklustre if the rides were just driven on Mitchell Freeway. That’s most likely why VRACE simulates world-class tracks like Circuito de Navarra and Portland International Raceway.
| Tip: Discounts (30%) are available from Tuesdays to Thursdays. Also, you can win prizes by competing. |
Escape Portal Gaming Lounge
From escapeportalgl
Address: 1359 Albany Hwy, Cannington
Contact Details: +61 499 992 639
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Thu – 2 pm to 12 am
- Fri – 2 pm to 2 am
- Sat – 12 pm to 2 am
- Sun – 12 pm to 12 am
Prices (per player):
- 1 Hour – $7.50
- 3 Hours – $20
- 5 Hours – $30
- 10 Hours – $55
- 20 Hours – $100
One of the most unique entries here is the family-run Escape Portal. It’s more of a high-speed esports lounge, with a ‘pay-to-play-your-personal-game’ setup, be it Fortnite or LoL.
So why is it here? Well, you can rent their VR headset and play any VR game you own or one from their collection. In my case, I just go with Gorilla Tag because of two reasons: it’s free and a classic.
The best part is that you can hire a theatre room for a private, somewhat upscale gaming sesh.
| Tip: Call first to check if your game is available on VR. If licenses allow, they can pre-install it. |
Zeroverse | Zero Latency Perth
From zerolatencyperth
Address: 248 Newcastle St
Contact Details: +61 8 6385 2666
Operating Hours:
- Tue – 3:45 pm to 8 pm
- Fri – 3:45 pm to 10 pm
- Sat – 11 am to 10 pm
- Sun – 12 pm to 6 pm
Price (per player): $59 – 45-50 mins
Did you know that Zero Latency has 110-plus venues across the globe? Now that’s a clear sign their zero-cable and free-roam experiences are worth playing.
If you ask me, though, it’s their triple-A titles you should be really pumped for. You see, while most joints offer indie games, this one has big names such as Far Cry and Space Marine, both high-octane games for solo players or a group of up to 8.
On top of that, they have original experiences like Engineruum. It’s a more surreal, kid-friendly take on puzzle games that don’t require players to fight psycho pirates or Tyranids.
| Tip: They’re not stingy on discounts. Always check what’s currently on. |
Archie Brothers Karrinyup
From archiebrothersarcade
Address: 200 Karrinyup Rd, Karrinyup
Contact Details: +61 8 6255 5769
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Thu – 11 am to 10 pm
- Fri – 11 am to 12 am
- Sat -10 am to 12 am
- Sun – 10 am to 10 pm
Prices (per player):
- 30 mins (Mon to Thu) – $29
- 30 mins (Fri to Sun) – $59
- 15 mins (daily) – $19
Archie Brothers Karrinyup solves the problem of wanting to play VR and arcade games in one spot. In fact, it’s the most loaded entry here in terms of experiences, with karaoke, bumper cars, laser tags, and bowling as the other attractions.
VR-wise, Ubisoft’s VR Rabbids is definitely the hottest game. It jumps through multiple locations, such as outer space and canyons, and the 5k resolution only elevates the mayhem.
There are also more laid-back options. For example, SpongeBob SquarePants: Dynamic Duo is as quirky as the series, taking you on a Boatmobile-driven spin across Bikini Bottom.
| Tip: Up the fun for less by nabbing a combo deal. |
