It seems like you’ve been hearing about virtual reality for a long time, whether in the news or in sci-fi movies. Maybe it’s all your kids are talking about, or perhaps you’ve developed a curiosity about it yourself. It may surprise you that this technology has been around for a few decades, even though it didn’t become widespread and commercially available until just several years ago.
The first modern VR headset was invented in the late 1960s. Early VR projects were built out of scientific curiosity, or for practical purposes, such as training pilots. These projects were heavy and bulky. Plus, they weren’t available for the public to use, unless you happened to be invited into a scientific computer lab. Although technology advanced over the years, VR headsets as we know them today only entered the mainstream in 2017. So compared with other long-time favorite activities you’ve enjoyed at our Family Fun Center, VR seems pretty futuristic. But that’s what makes it exciting!
New technology is inspiring. Imagine what the future can bring.
VR Around the World
Indeed, many computer scientists and engineers all over the world are taking this technology to greater heights and creating cool new experiences for people that wouldn’t have been possible even five years ago. In southern Australia, for example, a museum allows you to take virtual tours of nature. Slip on a pair of goggles, and you can go swimming along the Great Barrier Reef. You can even get up close with prehistoric animals. What child wouldn’t want to reach out and touch ancient ocean creatures?
At a Copenhagen theme park, guests have the option of getting fitted with VR headsets before riding a roller coaster. Instead of riding a “boring” old roller coaster, you can fly up and down hills, ducking from dragons and demons along the way. Talk about adding a few thrills to the ride! In Beijing, a whole virtual reality theme park is being prototyped. What looks like an empty space when you’re standing in the room by yourself, suddenly turns into a place where you can battle monsters and travel through time once you put your headset on.
And video game companies are starting to come out with VR systems you can use right in your own living room. This can bring the whole family into the mix and give grandma and grandpa a chance to check out the technology at the same time as the grandkids. Since it’s a new technology, home systems can be pretty expensive; they aren’t for every family on the block. Also, they aren’t as immersive as what you can find at entertainment centers, as the technology has been broken down to be more suitable for home use.
But don’t worry if Australia, Denmark, and China are too far away, or if you’re not in the market for VR in your own living room. We know where you can experience virtual reality in Tukwila for a fraction of the cost.
VR Challenge at the Family Fun Center
Pic Credit: Pixabay
At the Family Fun Center, we offer our VR Challenge attraction. Come play our newest Star Defense VR experience. Just put on the headset, and we’ll have you and your family protecting the universe against drones that are threatening to take over the earth. When deciding to bring a virtual reality experience to you, we’ve gone with a system that will give you the best virtual experience possible. Why do we love our VR Challenge attraction so much?
It’s responsive, which makes you feel like you’re really a part of the action. Details like a vibrating motion floor system and responsive controllers help you feel like you’re somewhere else entirely. It’s intelligent. The headsets and hand controllers we have in our VR experience are lightweight and wireless. The headset is easy to put on and wear. And you won’t get drawn out of the action by getting tangled up in wires, as you might have with older VR technology.
It’s also a benefit that our VR experience allows you to play in two ways: as an individual or along with other people. Our attraction allows for multi-player games so that you can work together with friends and family. Bring a whole group and experience it together! We’re proud to offer state-of-the-art virtual reality in Tukwila. Be among the first in the Pacific Northwest to try it out! Note that you must be 52 inches or taller to enjoy the attraction.
6D XD Theater at the Family Fun Center
For those who don’t quite meet the height requirement, our 6D XD Theater is almost as immersive. You must be at least 44 inches tall to go on this attraction, and of course, teens and adults will also enjoy it. Our XD Theater provides seats for up to 10 people, so your family and friends can have virtual adventures together. Will you plunge into jungle river rapids only to find pirates along the way? Will you have close-up encounters dinosaurs and try and escape from them? Ride on a roller coaster, in a minecart, or fly with a jetpack?
Or try to rescue a baby rhino?
No matter which adventure you go on, you’ll be immersed in the action. The special seats in our theater move with the action of the film. You’ll also experience special effects like wind, lightning, and other weather. Surround sound tops off the immersion. It puts you into the action like no other movie you’ve seen. We currently have eight different shows, meaning you can experience this attraction multiple times and never get bored. Even if you take in the same show multiple times, it’s never the same experience. You’ll be whisked off to a new land with new players, new ideas, and new choices. This is truly one family experience that never gets old. The Family Fun Center is just one of our favorite places to easily experience virtual reality in Tukwila.
No matter whether you choose to experience our state-of-the-art VR Challenge here in Washington, or if you choose to travel the world and visit other innovative VR experiences currently offered, they will allow you to escape the everyday and go on fantastic adventures.
Where will you end up next?
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