Cyberpunk 2077: New VR game announced for Zero Latency arcades

After CD Projekt Red put a stop to paid VR mods for “Cyberpunk 2077” earlier this year, there will soon be an official way to experience Night City in Virtual Reality. The Polish developer is working with VR provider Zero Latency on a new implementation of the “Cyberpunk 2077” universe.

However, this will not be a direct port of the original role-playing game but a standalone experience specifically developed for large VR venues. Zero Latency VR aims to capture the atmosphere and style of the original but tell a new adventure. The offering is to be released worldwide, but there is no specific date yet.

Free-roam VR relies on big brands

CEO Tim Ruse explains in the announcement that the Cyberpunk world is particularly suitable for this form of VR because it can be explored “on a human scale.” Technically, the project is based on so-called free-roam VR. This means: Players move through a real space with VR headsets, while their movements are directly transferred into the digital environment. Several people share the same space and see each other as characters in the virtual scenario.

Zero Latency relies on wireless headsets and full-body tracking for the most direct interaction possible. According to the company, it operates more than 150 locations in over 30 countries and is considered one of the largest providers of such VR arenas. In Germany, the chain has VR arcades in Munich, Hanover, Stuttgart, and Duisburg, among others.

Other providers are also pursuing similar concepts. Cooperations with established franchises have been a central trend in this segment for years. Sandbox VR, for example, offers VR experiences for “Stranger Things” or “Squid Game,” while Banijay, specializing in the North American market, will soon launch a “Black Mirror Experience” in collaboration with Univrse.

(joe)