With the opening of Emergent VR Encounter on Sawdust Road in July, South Montgomery County stepped into the next era of gaming, General Manager Michael McLennan said.
“Emergent VR Encounter is a futuristic gaming arcade,” McLennan said. “We not only do arcade video games, but we also offer experiences as well. So if you wanted to do something very fun and creative, this is the place. This is the next gaming era, and it’s very exciting to be here.”
With 12 stations, each equipped with Oculus Rift virtual reality goggles, a 360-degree controller and headset tracking, realistic graphics, directional audio and high-definition haptic feedback, McLennan said Emergent VR Encounter is primed for offering fully immersive experiences.
“You’re not just pressing buttons on a controller—you’re actually in the game,” McLennan said. “You don’t have to be a gamer to try virtual reality.”
With a game library of more than 60 options, ranging from painting and cooking to soccer and skydiving, co-owner Andy Bauman said Emergent VR Encounter has an experience for players of all ages.
“The difference between this and other [types of] gaming is, when’s the last time you went and tried to scuba dive on a [PlayStation] 2?” Bauman said. “It’s two-dimension, so you don’t feel like you’re in the water, you don’t see the fish around you—so [virtual reality] is this notion that there’s no experience you can’t have. This plays to a much broader audience.”
Bauman said if killing zombies or blasting asteroids is not of interest to players, the gaming lounge’s Google Earth virtual reality app is ideal for those who want to travel the world or just go down memory lane.
“With Google Earth [virtual reality], you can go to the base of the Eiffel Tower or Christ the Redeemer,” Bauman said. “You can even put it an address and go to a house you lived in 20 years ago and stand in the front yard. The opportunity and breadth of encounters are just amazing.”
To play at Emergent VR Encounter, a waiver is required for first-time players ages 8-17, which can be filled out online or in person. Price varies by session as the gaming lounge offers 15 minutes for $15, 30 minutes for $25 and an hour for $40.
However, Emergent VR Encounter also offers prepaid bundle packages for five, 10 and 20 hours of playtime, which come with discounts and can be used at a player’s leisure.
Additionally, the gaming lounge can be booked for private events such as birthday parties and corporate team building events, and also features a private room with two stations, which can be booked for smaller gatherings.
“We’ve had a lot of parents booking their children’s birthday party here, and we’ve had a lot of moms say this is a great venue for birthday parties,” McLennan said. “We’ve also had a few corporate events here, and we’re seeing an uptick in online registration too, which is great.”
For parents who may not want to participate, the gaming lounge also offers a waiting area, equipped with free Wi-Fi, charging stations, televisions and space to work or relax.
In the future, Bauman said he plans to continue building the Emergent VR Encounter gaming library while keeping up with the evolution of virtual reality technology.
“It’s an immersive experience, and you have the opportunity for any kind of encounter you want,” Bauman said. “I mean, truthfully, you can jump out of a plane, travel the world, play soccer, drive a car—there’s really nothing that doesn’t exist in this world that you can’t do, and it’s only going to become bigger and better.”
Bundle Basics
Emergent VR Encounter offers three prepaid bundle options.
-Silver bundle ($99): Five hours of playtime and 10 percent off one guest
-Gold bundle ($199): 10 hours of playtime, 15 percent off one guest, hat or T-shirt
-Platinum bundle ($299): 20 hours of playtime, 20 percent off one guest, hat and T-shirt
Daily Deals
The gaming lounge offers daily deal to make encounters more affordable.
-Tues.-Thu.: 10 percent off two booths, 20 percent off three booths and 30 percent off four booths
-Tuesdays and Thursdays: Wear an Emergent VR Encounter hat or T-shirt and receive 25 percent off game time
-Wednesdays: Buy one, get one 50 percent off all booth rentals.
Emergent VR Encounter
385 Sawdust Road, Spring
832-299-6443
www.emergentvrencounter.com
Hours: Tues.-Thu. noon-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-10 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m., closed Monday
