Sandbox VR and Netflix ‘Squid Game Virtuals’ location-based VR experience coming September 29

In Virtual Reality News

September 27, 2023 – Sandbox VR, a provider of location-based virtual reality (VR)  experiences, has recently announced a partnership with Netflix for the upcoming opening of the fully immersive Squid Game virtual experience. With over 265 million views, Squid Game is one of Netflix’ most watched series, and starting September 29, fans of the show will be able to participate in the world of Squid Game in full-body VR.

According to Sandbox VR, the ‘Squid Games Virtuals’ VR experience transports players to iconic Squid Game locations, where they become contestants in various challenges inspired by the Netflix series and compete against each other to be the last one standing.

Groups of up to six players will engage in challenges from the series, such as ‘Red Light, Green Light’, and ‘Cross the Glass Bridge, along with new twists that will expand on the world of the series. Sandbox VR added that after each game session players will receive personalized highlight videos capturing their virtual in-game reactions and recapping how their very own Squid Game story unfolded.

“At Netflix, we have always been committed to pushing the boundaries of entertainment and we are excited to partner with Sandbox VR for the launch of our Squid Game virtual reality experience,” said Greg Lombardo, VP, Live Experiences, Netflix. “By tapping into the power of virtual reality, fans can further immerse themselves in the world of this series with captivating and thrilling games they have come to know and love.”

Sandbox VR’s patented motion-tracking technology, which captures the movements of a player’s entire body, combines with a haptic system that players wear, in order to provide a deeper sense of realism and immersion that the company states  is not possible with home-based VR setups or other location-based VR platforms.

“Our tech enables guests to physically interact with one another while being precisely tracked in VR,” said Steve Zhao, Founder and CEO of Sandbox VR. “What makes Squid Game Virtuals exciting is that the experience truly leverages our platform’s capabilities. Guests’ own bodies act as their game controllers; all they have to do is step into the virtual world and participate in the action unfolding all around them.”

“During early development we knew the key to this project was to bring the unforgettable thrills and drama of Squid Game to VR in a way that’s approachable and fun for fans,” said Michael Hampden, SVP Content and Creative Director at Sandbox VR. “Working closely with Netflix, we designed new mini-games and adapted ideas from the series. The result is an incredibly engaging and social experience, unlike anything Sandbox VR has created before. We can’t wait for the reactions when our guests take their first steps across the glass bridge, or hear the music stop in Red Light, Green Light.”

Sandbox VR offers seven additional proprietary experiences, which are based on exclusive licensing agreements with otherHollywood series, as well as its own original intellectual properties. All Sandbox VR experiences are created by the company’s in-house gaming studio, and are tailored for group participation as social experiences that enable teams of up to six friends to freely explore and interact within virtual worlds.

For more information about Sandbox VR and its location-based entertainment experiences, including Squid Game Virtuals, click here.

Image / video credit: Sandbox VR / YouTube

About the author

Gavril Puskas

Gavril is a knowledgeable contributing author at Auganix. An experienced XR industry news curator, he has been keeping abreast with the latest AR, VR and tech developments for the last four years.