VR Playground was born from a simple but genius concept; how might one bring their childhood daydreams to life? This FRINGE WORLD Festival must-see enables audiences to live out their childhood fantasies, and collect a few imaginary gems in the process.
  
Nestled within a literal space of shipping containers and hammock seats, this thrilling virtual space exists within a selection of headsets, all of which involve pedestal fan face-wind for that realistic sense of motion. Half the headsets hook up to playground pony seats, which tilt to turn a virtual kart. The other half of the headsets involve beanbags for safe virtual flying. Session lengths are generous and ticket prices, which include both the kart game and the flying game, are more than reasonable for this novel experience. Hygiene standards are high, with headsets and controls diligently disinfected between every player. 

With a vibrant aesthetic, and catchy tunes from Birds of Tokyo guitarist Glenn Sarangapany, this immersive feast of imagination is a multisensory delight. VR Playground was created in Blender and Unreal Engine by a talented local developer, and features a fair few easter eggs; interpret that last part however you like. Giant swaying Jenga towers and fields full of icy poles typify the 3D rendered scenery, which is just as entertaining to watch as the gems are to collect. 

The outdoor location might not be ideal for laser technologies, so minor teething issues are to be expected. However, these trivialities are outweighed by the general awesomeness of the concept, and offset by the friendliness of the staff. Pro tip: veer away from the sides of the track in the kart game to keep any nausea at bay. Younger participants who have grown up with virtual reality don’t appear to be affected by this issue, but older participants, particularly those sensitive to motion sickness, might feel mildly queasy at certain points in the game. But hey, what’s a little motion sickness in the service of virtual cloud-soaring? 

If you’ve ever wished you could fly through the sky, or play a real-live round of a certain kart-themed racing game, you will adore this colourful virtual world.