Review : The Realm VR (Edinburgh Virtual Reality)
If you are looking for fun things to do in Edinburgh, then I warmly recommend a visit to The Realm VR. This is a dedicated virtual reality venue, located in central Edinburgh. I have been here three times and have had a very enjoyable experience on all three occasions.
The Realm VR is located above a gym in Gorgie, a short walk from the nearest bus stop. It has wheelchair and push-chair access, including a lift. The venue consists of four VR booths with VR equipment (referred to as portals) which can be pre-booked either by phone or online. There is also a nice looking café area alongside the VR booths. Each portal accommodates one player and can be booked by groups of up to four people at once. The portals feature a large screen, which enables people to spectate if they wish.
The café, looking very sleek after the renovation.
The Realm VR is situated inside a secure building, which means two things: Firstly, the entrance door will be locked in the evening however there is a clearly marked buzzer for The Realm VR and they will let you in. Secondly, it means that unauthorised people are unable to access the building. Between this and the staff keeping an eye on your belongings, you can relax and immerse yourself in VR without needing to feel concerned about the security of your things.
My first visit to The Realm VR was about a month and a half ago, and this was my first time playing Virtual Reality games or interactive experiences; having previously only used VR to watch a number of 360 degree immersive short videos, try out 3D painting using TiltBrush, and to experience a completely bizarre walking simulator which attempted to represent how VR would be if it had been made in the 80s. I was with my mum during this first visit, and her previous experience of VR was about as sparse as mine. Because we were both rather new to VR, we both decided to try out a variety of short VR games and experiences during our visit to The Realm VR.
Each portal is nicely set up and ready for people to enjoy
My mother had fun with Audioshield, Fruit Ninja, Google Earth, and the plank experience. She also tried playing Beat Saber, however found it to be too challenging as she is unaccustomed to playing fast paced games. She very much enjoyed all of the other things which she tried.
Not to be outdone, I started off by playing Fruit Ninja and then I too opted to try the plank experience. Much to my amusement, this comes with the option to include a real plank to walk along; which, of course, I was rather keen to include. I then had fun using jet guns to swoop around a small virtual city by flying around and between the buildings. Afterwards I played Beat Saber, which I enjoyed enormously and turn out to be incredibly good at – much to my delight! I finished my session with a spooky stroll around a creepy manor. I like horror games, so I found this to be an enjoyable way to end the evening. A lady who was at Real VR at the same time as me had to stop playing The Manor midway, as she found it to be too scary! However there was a screen set up near where I was playing, showing the action, and this gave her the option to enjoy watching my game and find out what happened next.
My second visit to The Realm VR was just over a month ago. I started off by playing a horror game called Emily Wants to Play. The atmosphere was pleasingly creepy but I couldn’t figure out how to avoid Emily frequently killing me without warning, so I was unable to make much progress. There were some technical difficulties to begin with, however the staff swiftly set up another portal so that I could play the game without a delay or further problems. Technical issues are uncommon but when they crop up the staff are apologetic and helpful, with delays being brief. After trying out Emily Wants to Play, I decided to spend the rest of my visit playing Beat Saber. I find this game extremely pleasing and fun to play, and look forward to having more opportunities to play it in the future. The staff were very encouraging and motivating, saying lots of nice things about how well I was doing.
My third visit was yesterday, and I spent the whole hour playing Beat Saber. It’s great exercise, and my improvement was rather satisfying. On this visit the venue had been upgraded, as the café has now finished being renovated and looks very nice. The portals are also larger, with a big wall mounted screen.
Right from the start the owner of The Realm VR, Darren, was very pleasant and welcoming. He can make helpful suggestions for things to try based on the customer’s previous VR experience, mood, or genres which they enjoy. The Realm VR has an extensive menu of games and experiences available, so this type of assistance was most welcome.
The Realm VR website has a comprehensive list of the games and experiences, complete with a brief description of each one. This is very useful, as it is now possible to consider what I might like to do prior to future visits. There is a lot of variety on offer, and certainly enough content to sustain interest over numerous visits.
Virtual Reality creates so many possibilities.
In conclusion, I feel that I was very well looked after during my time at The Realm VR. The charge is a very affordable £19.50 per player per hour. While it is not compulsory to book a long time in advance, advance booking is something which I recommend as The Realm VR is becoming increasingly popular and pre-booking secures a portal until you arrive. The staff are enthusiastic and passionate, both about Virtual Reality and about providing their customers with an enjoyable and memorable experience. I strongly recommend The Realm VR, not just to gamers but to anybody who enjoys having fun and trying new things.
