San Mateo, California’s newest VR venue dubbed The Hero Hangout is celebrating their launch today, Thursday, November 29th. The VR-centric business is located near the tech haven of Silicon Valley. They’ve brought aboard Exit Reality X Pods for their guests to enjoy unique virtual gaming experiences.

Debuting VR for the Public

Hero Hangout was created by Tim Draper, a legendary Venture Capitalist. It’s his goal to give VR much needed exposure to the public. Draper notes that the general public struggles to gain access to VR because of hefty set-up costs.

The Hero Hangout site discusses this point in their Origin Story. Saying, “The price and set up is really a strong barrier for the average consumer.” Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have come and gone, but the price of new PC hardware is something that still stands in consumers way.

Hero Hangout is a way to exhibit VR to those that haven’t tried it yet or can’t afford to buy a new PC, headset, and games to go with it. The site says the new hangout on the block, “will enable the general public the ability to try the latest and greatest in virtual reality technology, and hopefully inspire and enlighten people about the possibilities of these new technologies.”

Exit Reality LBVR

VR enthusiasts will tell you, it takes one experience to change a person’s perspective of VR for the better or worse. 

Visitors that head over to The Hero Hangout will get to play an immersive and action-packed game like Space Pirate Trainer, or conquer a fear of heights with Richie’s Plank Experience. There’s a library of over 20 diverse games and experiences hosted by SpringboardVR, so there’s something for everybody!

Exit Reality, a leading location-based VR (LB VR) company from San Francisco is well known for their collaboration with Neurogaming. The two paired up to bring LB VR and multiplayer gaming to large spaces with their X Arc earlier this year.

Now, Exit Reality is onto a new mission with The Hero Hangout, supplying them with 3 Vive-powered X Pods. Gaming guests will step into an 8×8 foot gaming cube surrounded by polished chrome and illuminated with eye-catching neon lights. Guests can take turns playing VR inside the pods or view gameplay from monitors on the outside.

KATVR and Talon Simulations

The newly minted arcade will also have an omnidirectional movement platform called KATVR Premium for guests to use. The slick plate ODT is for walking and running around in VR without the need for a joystick or the dreaded smooth movement. Which is important to know for those that get car sick or motion sick in fast-paced or zero-g games like myself.

If guests want to have a seated virtual experience, Talon Simulations Racing, Flight and Roller Coaster Simulator will be there. Sit in a bucket seat and become a race car driver, soar through the air, and go through hoops in VR. People who are afraid of heights will be relieved to know that they’ll get to sit in a seat and never leave the ground! It’s all a simulation.

As a 21st century arcade, The Hero Hangout hasn’t forgotten about its roots. They have an area with arcade cabs like Street Fighter, Ms. Pacman, Rampage, and other retro games. Getting dunked into VR with an Exit Reality X Pod will run guests $50 per hour, while it’s $60 per hour for a full day of play!