VRDAYS - Action and Relaxation

Clearing your head of everyday worries - some people do this better at the weekend with action, others prefer to relax. Both were possible at VRDAYS Zurich.

Virtual reality, isn't that just gaming? Something for teenagers who just lounge around on the sofa all the time? The VRDAYS definitely lived up to this cliché. also fair.

The fact that computer games with VR often have nothing to do with typical couch potato behaviour was demonstrated, for example, by the Icaros device, which was a guest: the virtual reality fitness device combines gaming with training. With a little patience, visitors could also let off steam with a short fitness session with Beat Saber at the Fusion Arena. And in the large zone, they could choose to go on an adventure on foot or test a shooter. Two applications from the company trueVRSystems originate.

It also works passively

VRDAYS has proven more than enough that VR and AR can do more and are already being used successfully in a wide range of industries, especially in the business sector. Relaxing experiences are something that could also be used by the general public in addition to gaming. And this could also be experienced.

For example, visitors were able to take their time in the supervised Sony Playstation Lounge to enjoy various VR applications relatively passively. With the VR headset, young and old were able to isolate themselves from their surroundings for a short time and experience a wide variety of stories. Relatively passive consumption in the swivel chairs was also possible in the VR cinema.

"What you can see here is simply amazing. I was really immersed in the world and completely forgot what was going on around me," reports one visitor enthusiastically. Another visitor said with fascination: "It's amazing, at some point we won't even have to go on holiday anymore and can go somewhere in a fantasy world while we're actually at home."

Two visitors who were probably more interested in gaming, on the other hand, said that the stories would be more exciting if the viewer could interactively decide what happens next. This - a mix - is of course also possible. A good example was provided by the Swiss game Arafinn, which also had a well-attended stand on site with the development team.