Some of you who have followed this blog for a while know that one of my hobbies is simulated racing. I have a low-budget setup at home, and compete in an online league that races monthly.
I’ve been working out of Meta’s Burlingame office this week in Northern California, and one of the cool things about this office is the Immersion Arcade. It’s a space where you can try a bunch of high-end VR gaming and simulation experiences. There is a flight simulator, a VR-treadmill so you can literally run when playing a game, and a racing rig.
I sat down in the seat, put on the seat belts (yes, you need seat belts!), and popped on the headset. I was instantly transported to the Silverstone Circuit in the UK and was in the driver’s seat of a Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The direct drive wheel, the load cell pedals, the VR headset, and the motion cockpit meant that as I accelerated out of corners, or braked going into them, my whole body was thrown forward, backwards, or to the side to simulate what a driver feels in real life. Within 10 minutes, I was already feeling nauseous and had to pause.
That racing rig is well out of range of my personal budget range, but I was thrilled I got to try out what a high-end simulator feels like. For now though, I’ll stick with my non-nauseating setup.
