Sandbox VR

"Sandbox is a futuristic VR experience for groups of up to 6 where you can see and physically interact with everyone inside, just like the real world. Inspired by Star Trek's Holodeck, our exclusive worlds let you feel like you're living inside a game or movie, and are built by EA, Sony, and Ubisoft veteran"

When I was interning in San francisco, me and a couple of my friends got the chance to make multiple visit to the Sandbox VR studio and were instantly blown away by the experience. The first thing we did was go to the lobby area where they have a large screen TV playing all sorts of crazy videos and games, from which I could see what the studio had to offer. Sandbox VR is designed for players of all ages who want an immersive virtual reality experience that lets them feel like they're part of a game or movie. They have taken the concept of VR gaming to its extreme as they not only provide you with amazing headsets but all sorts of sensors and gears (attached to your body), which makes the experience much more immersive.

The Tech


Traditional VR equipments

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Sandbox VR Gear

Players will be equipped with a VR headset, a haptic vest, a backpack and motion sensors on their wrists and ankles in the room. All the equipment allows players to see and physically interact with other players and the virtual reality they are in. So lets say bullet is shot at your chest, you feel the impact on the chest. Another example would be that of a gun or swords, which makes the user feel the impact whenever the user uses these items.

But let’s get a bit more specific. Sandbox VR uses the following hardware:

Head-mounted Display (HMD): Sandbox VR uses industry-standard VR headsets, like the HTC Vive and Oculus, in its locations. This part of its technology is not proprietary.
Backpack Computer: To allow free range of motion, players strap a notebook computer, made by a company like MSI, to their backs.
Motion Capture Sensors: Players are outfitted with motion capture trackers on their wrists, feet, headsets, and other peripherals and props, like guns. These devices use a combination of external motion capture and internal kinematics to track players’ movements. This is one of Sandbox VR’s proprietary technologies.
Haptic Vest: To allow for further immersion, players wear a haptic vest, which simulates tactile sensations within the game. For example, if a zombie hits you, the vest may vibrate. This is another one of the company’s proprietary hardware items. Communications Headsets: Players wear headsets with microphones in addition to their HMDs so that they can communicate with their teammates throughout the experience. Some of these headsets are made by Razer.
Additional Peripherals: Depending on which game the players choose, they’ll use additional peripherals, like prop guns, to get a more immersive experience. Some experiences also make use of wind effects (a row of fans) to increase the immersion.

The Games

And its not just one game, they have a variety of games ranging from a haunted house experience to a PvP fighting arena.

Deadwood Valley: New addition as of Summer 2022. Deadwood Valley is an adrenaline-pumping zombie thrill-ride through a town overrun by zombies, across isolated country roads and into the darkest depths of the valley.
Curse of Davy Jones: A pirate-themed game appropriate for both kids and adults. Players are tasked with finding a lost treasure.
Amber Sky 2088: Players shoot robots and aliens in the future city of New Hong Kong.
Star Trek: Discovery: A Star Trek-themed game built in partnership with CBS. Players use their phase guns to fight off enemies while they explore alien worlds.
Deadwood Mansion: A horror, zombie-shooter game in which players try to survive a creepy mansion.
Unbound Fighting League (UFL): A sci-fi fighting game in which players become futuristic gladiators and face off against their friends. The experience is designed to combine physical sports with esports.

The Experience

The Sandbox VR experience starts before the first HMD is put on and the first game is loaded up. As soon as guests enter the Sandbox VR location, they’ll find a modern design, friendly staff, and a space that’s crafted to be a great place to hang out before and after a game. After signing into your reservation, your host leads you to your game bay where you can safely store your personal items. There are multiple lobbies where multiple people are playing different games. After strapping into your gear, you are then given an iPad from where you can select your game character and the weapon of your choice. This integration of the real-world location into the experience helps ease the transition between reality and virtual reality for the players.

The users are then required to put on their headset and the vest, after which you are instantly teleported to the into the virtual world. The handler then gives you your weapon and you are all set to go forth with your mission !


Players in game

Overall, the games that Sandbox VR offers are very much like arcade offerings: they are short, mechanics-driven experiences. They are designed primarily to give groups of friends a fun social experience with each other, so they rely heavily on teamwork and pure and simple fun. However, Sandbox VR isn’t a typical VR arcade, despite the similarities: its offerings are a cut above the rest, which gives it the feeling of a luxury, futuristic experience, rather than a run-of-the-mill arcade.

The Aftermath


Victory pose for Deadwood mansion

| Sandbox VR aftermath2 | | Victory pose for Amber sky |

After the game ends, players can then see their game play as well as their highscore all recorded in the room. The video is of really high quality and gives the feeling that it is showing some sort of high production movie.

Current Issues

Venue Room: While the room seemed quite spacious, it isn’t as big as we expected. Because the sensors and readers need participants without a certain perimeter, the room shrinks by four feet all the way around. With six almost fully-grown or completely grown adults, we felt a little crammed.
Headset: We all wear goggles AND headsets. Sometimes it was a little difficult to hear the story whether it was because the earphones didn’t fit exactly properly or because our teammates were commenting and we couldn’t hear our instructions. Ultimately, it didn’t really matter because you just point and shoot at everything moving anyway.
You will sweat. We weren’t sure if it was from the adrenaline coursing through our veins or the moving around, but either way, we were all dripping. So dress in comfortable lightweight clothing that you can move around in.
Since the game heavily depends upon its hardware, it is really difficult to introduce a new game whose hardware requirenments might differ
Its slightly on the more expensive side
The weight of gear is about 25 pounds, so it can be a little difficult to move around.
The games can be extended in such a way that people from different rooms can interact with each other.