The Impact of Virtual Reality
Culture
UpdateApril 11, 2019
ReleaseFebruary 21, 2018
As the 1999 film “The Matrix” reminded us, if we can control people’s perceptions (i.e. our five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch), we can present them with an alternative reality.
What’s VR

And controlling the sense of touch and smell might not be so hard after all, either. What can be more challenging is the palate, responsible for tasting the nutritive substances that go directly into our body. Still, recently we found out that this too can be controlled from information conveyed through our sight. If and when we come up with a device that can control our senses of smell, touch and taste together with our sight and hearing, the world of “Matrix” could become a reality.
Even if the matter of controlling taste, touch and smell belongs to the future, VR devices controlling sight and hearing are already here. And by “here” we mean Japan, too! att.Japan’s editorial department wanted to have a first-hand experience with it so we tried “Zero Latency VR” and “VR Ikiningyo no Ma”; both systems are available as attractions in Odaiba’s Tokyo Joypolis Amusement
①「ZERO LATENCY」 VR

After getting an explanation from one of the staffers acting as the team leader, we got our equipment and weapon: the backpack weighs 4 kg and the weapon 2 kg and you can actually feel the weight! And then we entered the battlefield. At first it looked like a regular room but as soon as we put the goggles on, we got transported to an abandoned factory. Behind us, we heard moans and groans – we turned around and saw that we were surrounded by a horde of zombies. We gasped and shuddered involuntarily as we tried to avoid them! We headed for the second floor and even though we knew it was just a flat screen, and we could feel the height and wondered anxiously what would happen if we missed our footing – the fear was real!
Cost: ¥1,800 (tax included). Reservation necessary. For ages 13 and over. Tokyo Joypolis entrance fee also required.
②VR Ikiningyo no Ma (Room of the Living Dolls)

Cost: ¥600. Due to the grotesque imagery, entrance is limited to ages 13 and over. Tokyo Joypolis entrance fee also required.
Try a VR Game!

*The information herein is as of August 2016