In a large dome-shaped building in the small town of Pleasant Grove, Utah, reality is being shaped to our imaginations. It is neither a movie nor a video game. It is not a virtual reality helmet for a gaming console—and it is not a theme park with rides.
It is simply, The Void.
Take your favorite parts of popular entertainment: the excitement and empathy you feel for characters at a movie theater, the ability to lose yourself in other-worldly video games, the thrill of feeling the floor move and rock at your favorite amusement park, and the curiosity of putting yourself into someone else’s shoes through a virtual reality helmet.
The designers, engineers and enthusiasts of the Void have taken these components and created something no one else has done before—a virtual reality theme park.
The park will be set up very much like a movie theater. You pay for the time and what adventure you would like to play. Once you arrive, you are outfitted with a virtual reality helmet, a computerized vest, a custom headset and a handheld object that varies depending on the experience chosen. Each stage is set up with walls and pathways that you can touch as you walk through. These real life objects are then overlaid with the virtual world. This allows you to interact with touch screens, switches and other objects. In addition to this, the senses of hot, cold, windy, foggy and rainy will be stimulated with 4D effects.
The Void describes the experience: “From fighting intergalactic wars on alien planets to casting spells in the darkest of dungeons, the Void presents the future of entertainment. Our advanced virtual reality technologies allow you to see, move and feel our digital worlds in a completely immersive and realistic way.”
The Void is set to open its first park in Utah in the summer of 2016. They have also released plans to open up centers across across the United States.