London ain’t exactly short of things to do – free or otherwise. So, in a city of nine million people – which was also just voted the best city in the world for 2023 we’ll have you know – it stands to reason that we’ve got some pretty epic VR experiences. From running away from zombies to channel Schumacher et al on a virtual racetrack, here’s our rundown of some of the best VR experiences in London:
1. Squid Game at Immersive Gamebox, Southbank
Kicking off this roundup is something which needs no real introduction let’s be honest. If you haven’t heard of Squid Game, then you’ve most likely been living under a rock the past couple of years. The South Korean smash-hit TV behemoth has become one of Netflix’s biggest success stories, smashing viewership records and earning 14 Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
It’s returning for season two sometime soon, but if you can’t wait that long, then make sure you head to the Squid Game AR experience at Southbank’s Immersive Gamebox. But be warned – the stakes are high. After putting on your AR visors, you’ll join as a contender in the actual Squid Game, and will have to survive all six challenges from the show. Using 3D motion tracking visors and touch screens around the room, you’ll have to survive each challenge in order to advance further in the game. Every time you lose, you gamble losing players’ lives. Every time you win, you’ll earn money in the piggy bank. Got what it takes?
📍You’ll find Immersive Gamebox at Arch 3, 83 Scoresby Street, Southwark, London, SE1 0XN.
🚇 Nearest station is Southwark.
2. Dalí : Cybernetics – The Immersive Experience, Brick Lane
Like many exhibitions in London, Dalí : Cybernetics is billed as being an immersive experience that allows you to ‘step into his paintings’, though as our resident Staff Writer Tamsin attests, it was so much more than that. The first part of the exhibition is effectively a crash course on Dalí. You can learn about all the things that influenced him – from science to people to technology, and everything in between – all neatly displayed in a clear timeline alongside many of his different individual artworks.
But the real star of the show is undoubtedly the ‘metaverse’. The VR simulation you step into here will take you on a one-of-a-kind visual journey through desert, sea and space, where you’ll be able to encounter various aspects of Dali’s art from the comfort of your very own ship.
You’ll also be able to delve into the inspiration behind one of his most iconic artworks, ‘The Persistence of Memory’ (famous for its melting clocks). You can get your tickets here.
📍You’ll find Dali : Cybernetics – The Immersive Experience at The Boiler House. 152 Brick Lane, London, E1 6RU.
🚇 Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street.
3. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, Spitalfields
Another fantastic VR experience in London here – this time exploring the artworks of Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh – one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history.
As well as a state-of-the-art 360-degree video projection which brings the famed artist’s works to life, there’s also an incredible VR experience which transports you from Van Gogh’s bedroom in Arles, France, through sunflower fields and down to the starry riverside. You’ll get to delve into eight different artworks of the legendary artist, and will go on a journey that you won’t forget in a hurry! Now in its second year, it’s a fantastic experience that is well worth a visit.
Grab your tickets now here.
📍You’ll find Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience at 106 Commercial Street Spitalfields, London, E1 6LZ.
🚇 Nearest stations are Shoreditch High Street and Aldgate East.
4. Alice VR Escape Room at Meet SpaceVR, Wembley
Next up on this roundup of the best VR experiences in London is one that will really make you fall down the rabbit hole and into the looking glass… Head into ‘Wonderland’ and help the Hatter, who is stuck in time, to sort out the mess at the mad tea party with this bonkers London VR experience.
Follow the beaming Cheshire Cat through the spooky dark forest and find a way to defeat the evil Queen of Hearts before she shrieks “off with your head”! Combining VR technology with an actual escape room, this is bound to be one hell of a memorable experience.
📍You’ll find the Alice VR Escape Room at MeetspaceVR, Box Park, Olympic Way, Wembley Park, Wembley, London, HA9 0JT.
🚇 Nearest station is Wembley Park.
5. Strike Team Delta at Navrtar, Ealing
Crawl into the skin of a brave marine, on a gaming mission to save humanity from an alien invasion, on this incredible VR experience. Based at Navrtar in Ealing, you’ll be immersed in the world of the military as you try and find the weaknesses of the alien enemy before it’s too late and the human race no longer has the ability to fight back!
There are three different locations to the VR experience – a desert, snow-covered mountains and a fictional US city called ‘Morgantown’ – and you’ll be able to shoot weapons throughout. Lock and load and best of luck!
📍You’ll find Navrtar at Dickens Yard, Longfield Avenue, Ealing, London, W5 2UQ.
🚇 Nearest station is Ealing Broadway.
6. Overrun at Navrtar, Ealing
Navrtar in Ealing has another surprise up its sleeve – this time of the horror variety – so scaredy-cats look away now! It’s 1987 and a local clinic has been found in a remote village, which has been taken over by the ominous Dr. Dracarev. His experiments towards super human evolution have failed miserably and have led to a major zombie outbreak in the village.
The challenge here is to go back in time, get your tactical game on, team up and defeat the hordes of zombies and the sinister Dr. before it’s too late!
📍You’ll find Navrtar at Dickens Yard, Longfield Avenue, Ealing, London, W5 2UQ.
🚇 Nearest station is Ealing Broadway.
7. Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience, Aldgate
Part immersive theatre, part virtual reality, Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience has been a thrilling hit since opening in London. Based on Jeff Wayne’s musical interpretation of H.G. Wells’ landmark novel, this epic adventure really imagines the 1898 Martian invasion for the digital age.
The result is a jaw-dropping, multi-sensory ride through the classic tale, making use of actors, holograms, and augmented reality to deliver an unforgettable experience. You’ll be catapulted into the heart of the story, experiencing 24 extraordinary scenes, all the while searching for allies and evading the dreaded Martians, for a heart-pounding afternoon out. Sign. Us. Up.
📍You’ll find Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience at 56 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3A 2BJ.
🚇 Nearest stations are Aldgate and Fenchurch Street.
8. Zero Latency at Meet SpaceVR, Wembley
Another VR London experience at Meet SpaceVR, Zero Latency gives players the chance to get involved in the ‘world’s most advanced warehouse scale, free-roam VR experience’ with up to seven other players. Choose from six different games, with themes running from zombie survival missions to competitive shooting challenges.
For something a little bit different, we’d recommend joining the family-friendly ‘Engineerium’ – a topsy-turvy world where the laws of gravity don’t apply and where you’ll be joined by a whole host of colourful creatures!
📍You’ll find Zero Latency at MeetspaceVR, Box Park, Olympic Way, Wembley Park, Wembley, London, HA9 0JT.
🚇 Nearest station is Wembley Park.
9. Otherworld, Hackney or Victoria
Next up on this VR in London roundup is Otherworld – a ‘virtual island paradise’ which is home to 16 different VR experiences in Hackney, Victoria and Birmingham. A one-of-a-kind digital theme park, this is the place where you can rave on a beach under a virtual sun, visit a quaint country funfair, or watch the seasons change and the leaves start to fall.
Expect hard-to-beat puzzles, shooting and combat games, intriguing stories and exciting movie clips throughout each individual game – they’re all waiting for you in premium, 4D virtual reality.
📍You’ll find Otherworld at 5 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0QJ and at 336 Acton Mews, Haggerston, Hackney, London, E8 4EA.
🚇 Nearest stations are Victoria and Haggerston.
10. DNA VR, Battersea Power Station, Camden and Hammersmith
DNA VR bills themselves as ‘London’s first Virtual Reality arcade’, and their mission is to ‘to take you and your crew on a journey through incredible worlds in this reality and beyond’. With three different locations dotted about town, they’re well on their way to stealing the VR experience in London crown, and they’ve got everything from VR escape rooms to multiplayer games.
Scenarios on the gaming roster here include ‘Skyfront VR’ – essentially laser tag on steroids – ‘Prison Break’ (surprises for what this one involves) and ‘Mission Sigma’, which requires you and your mates to disassemble a nuclear warhead. No pressure then. They also cater to birthday parties and stag/hen dos here too.
📍You’ll find DNA VR at various different locations across London. You can find out more here.
11. Immotion VR, North Greenwich
Another real ripper of a VR experience in London here, Immotion VR offers everything from swimming with humpback whales (no seriously) to ‘Experience Gotham City’, where you’ll be able to see through the eyes of the world’s greatest detective in an all new Arkham mystery.
Based at the mighty O2 Arena in North Greenwich, there’s plenty of scope here for some fun. They’ve even got a virtual rollercoaster! Pre-gig activity perhaps?!
📍You’ll find Immotion VR at The O2, North Greenwich, London, SE10 0DX.
🚇 Nearest station is North Greenwich.
12. Supercharged VR, Leyton
So – the clue’s in the name right? If you’re into racing cars, then this VR experience is really the one for you. Established back in 2021 in Leyton, Supercharged VR is a fully-immersive racing experience whose aim is ‘to make motorsport accessible for everyone’.
In order to simulate driving around a track, you’ll don top-of-the-range VR headsets and will be driving on board a full-motion simulator platform. You’ll even get to choose your very own car and racing track too to really get you in the zone – Lewis Hamilton eat your heart out!
📍You’ll find Supercharged VR at Arch 148 Tilbury Road, Leyton, London, E10 6RE.
🚇 Nearest station is Leyton Midland Road.
13. Sandbox VR, Holborn
Our penultimate entry on this roundup of the best VR experiences in London is Sandbox VR – a futuristic VR experience for up to six people where you can really feel like you’re living inside a real-life game or movie.
Scenarios include zombie apocalypses (that old chestnut) and space adventures, and thanks to Hollywood motion capture cameras, 3D precision body trackers, custom hardware, and haptic suits, you’ll really feel like you’re in the world in which you’ve chosen. Heck they’ve even got a robotic bartender here – the UK’s first – called Toni. Who would’ve thought hey?!
📍You’ll find Sandbox VR at The Post Building, High Holborn, London, WC1A 1PB.
🚇 Nearest stations are Holborn and Tottenham Court Road.
14. iFLY London, North Greenwich
Rounding off this list of the best VR experiences in London is one that technically isn’t open yet, but it sounds so good that we couldn’t not include it. iFLY London – opening in February 2023 at the O2 Arena in Greenwich – not only promises indoor skydiving using state-of-the-art equipment, but it also allows you the chance to get involved with the iFLY 360 Virtual Reality package.
What is that you ask dear reader? Well, it combines the fun of indoor skydiving with the thrill of a simulated ‘real’ skydive out of a plane using a VR headset. You’ll actually feel like you’re leaping out of a real life plane, and you can choose from four different locations – Dubai, Hawaii, So Cal in California and the majestic Swiss Alps. Far out!
📍You’ll find iFLY London at The O2, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX.
🚇 Nearest station is North Greenwich.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best VR experiences in London Town at this point in time. With everything from escaping zombie apocalypses to swimming with mighty humpback whales, there’s something for everyone here, so whatever crowd you’re with – get involved!