Virtual reality experiences are slowly but surely becoming more popular in Dublin.
Zero Latency, located in Sandyford (just five minutes form the Stillorgan Luas stop), is the only place in Ireland that offers arena-scale virtual reality gaming.
Whether you're an avid gamer or someone who has barely touched an Xbox in their life, this is nonetheless and experience that is well worth putting to the test.
We headed along to check it out and try killing some zombies inside a frighteningly real virtual reality world, and it's an experience that had our hearts racing and our palms sweaty.
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Before you're let loose in the arena, you will be given a briefing about what you can expect in the game. Then, you're suited up with a pack, headset and gun.
Then it's time to step into the arena, a large space in which you can freely roam while you have the headset on. Watching your pals walk around the room in large headsets shooting fake guns at invisible targets is a somewhat hilarious sight to see. But once you're inside, you will fully understand what has them jumping and walking around as if they're in a sci-fi flick.
The word 'immersive' is used by a lot of event organisers these days but this experience is one that truly deserves the title, fully immersing you into a world of killer zombies. At one stage of the game, we had to walk up a metal ramp along the side of a building. In reality, we were simply taking a few steps forwards, but the world in which you have been dropped into is so real that your knees become weak and your heart skips a few beats.
Susannah Murphy, who runs Zero Latency in Dublin alongside husband Ronan Cunningham, told Dublin Live how the idea to bring this to Dublin came when the pair were on their honeymoon in Tokyo.
She revealed: "We stumbled upon Zero Latency in this entertainment centre in Tokyo. I'm not a gamer at all. Ronan's not really a gamer but he thought it'd be a cool experience. I didn't have much experience with VR but I love tech. We decided to jump in and play it and my jaw hit the floor.
"My experience with video games is playing the Omego 500 with my brother. But suddenly I was inside the game."
The couple then made their way to Melbourne where the company is based, and explained to them that the people of Dublin would love an experience like this.
Having opened in Sandyford in 2019, Zero Latency has welcomed groups of friends, corporate events and birthday parties.
Susannah explained: "They can book in events upstairs so they're here for a few hours. They get food, bring their own beers and we have a really cool chillout area upstairs.
"This is social gaming. This isn't sitting with a headset in your sitting room. This is getting a whole group together. The majority of people who walk through here aren't gamers, they're just here for the experience. It's a laugh for people. It's not targeting just gamers, it's everyone. It's like Q-Sar in that way."
Visitors who might be nervous about jumping into a realistic sphere full of killer zombies and epic scenes can be assured that the staff there are incredibly friendly and helpful and will be sure to help you remain calm during the experience.
Zero Latency Dublin is open from Tuesday to Sunday on Maple Avenue in Sandyford. Bookings can be made here.
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