Discover Delmarva: Another World VR
SALISBURY, Md.- “I can’t believe this is real,” is something you’ll find yourself saying throughout your visit to Another World VR in Salisbury, Maryland. WMDT met owners Jermaine and Taria Fisher, who helped us explore an alternate reality.
J. Fisher tells us that “The whole experience is fully immersive. So basically, you come in, strap on the headset, and choose your game, and the same way you would navigate around in real life, that’s how you would do it in the game.”
To start, you’ll get a safety overview of the experience. However, most importantly, you’ll want to avoid any gray shadows in the game to avoid real-life collisions. Plus, running is strictly prohibited during the game. WMDT was ready to play, but what kind of games do they offer? J. Fisher says it’s a wide variety. “We have horror games, we have the shooting games, and we also have the games for kids. Which would be our non-shooter games, like Ghost Mansion, Dance,” he explains.
We tried their most popular game, “Island Assault,” a first-person shooter game where you compete against your group. It was time to suit up: Shoes off, headset on, controllers in hand, and the most important piece, your haptic vest. T. Fisher says this piece of equipment helps transport you to this altered reality. “When you put on the haptic vest, you can feel everything that’s happening to you in the game.”
This vest is a must-have and fully immerses you into this virtual space. It’s important to give yourself time to adjust to the altered reality before the game begins. Mr. Fisher says this is an important step before jumping into the game. “Normally, we give you a few seconds to navigate around and the feel of the mat so you understand it. There’s a difference in the feel of the actual virtual world versus the realistic world and how the two merge together.”
There was a major adjustment, but after a minute or so, we were fully engrossed, locked and loaded, ready to compete. The game takes a few minutes to get the mechanics down as you adjust. Eventually, the movements come naturally, and the fun is well underway. T. Fisher says this is one of the main things she notices with visitors: “You’ll be hesitant to get on because your mind will play tricks on you, making you think it’s real when it’s not. But when you take the headset off, you’re like, where am I!”
The technology was impressive, but how does an empty room like this transform into such a real experience? J Fisher explained how this comes to life, “We use the Meta Quest 3, which is the off-the-shelf VR headset. All of the tracking here on the wall, the banners, and the squares on the floor. The camera on the headset reads off of that.”
With the technology continuing to advance at a rapid rate. The sky is the limit for what is possible at Another World VR.
Jermaine and Tairia say they have big plans for the upcoming year to continue improving the experience for guests. They welcome large groups for birthdays or team building exercises as well.
To plan your visit and for their hours, check out their website.
