Published , by Charles Singletary Jr
Published , by Charles Singletary Jr
The VR killer app that has people swinging lightsabers to a beat is stepping things up. Beat Saber is joining the ranks of other location-based VR experiences and taking the VR rhythm game into arcades. The indie studio Beat Games team is partnering up with Skonec Entertainment for an arcade machine, which will be self-operable.
The Beat Saber arcade machine is being tested in select cities throughout Korea and China, VRFocus reports, before a full rollout. South Korean customers can check it out in Seoul and Busan while Chinese players will find the new device in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenyang. Skonec Entertainment is also planning to take the VR machine to two events: KRVF in South Korea and GTI Expo in China.
“We are happy to bring this experience to the market with globally being loved game, Beat Saber," Skonec Entertainment vice president Jordhan Choi told the publication. "We are sure that this will be an exciting addition to not only to VR arcades but also to any locations. We are pleased to service Beat Saber into this branded arcade machine, and plan to include further collaboration such as adding famous K-pop songs and more.”
Having a self-operable machine will be attractive to suitors that would like to have VR machines in their establishments, as they typically require staff to set up and manage. Hopefully, sanitary options will be stocked near the machine so users can at least clean the HMD before playing. If the Beat Saber arcade machine sees success in these early tests, it could expand into more areas and put the Beat Games team on the map in a huge way. Beat Saber is available now for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality for $19.99 and is in early access.