Six Flags in New Jersey will be the first ever theme park to combine a real world roller coaster with a VR headset, Samsung Gears VR headset to be exact. The attraction will allow riders to put on the headset and hunt down some gargoyles as they ride the coaster.
The ride is titled Rage of the Gargoyles.
Riders simply turn their heads to lock on to targets to blast them away, instead of flailing their arms everywhere trying to aim. The coaster itself consists of 1,377 feet of track filled with drops and twists that are a part of the in-game movement.
Six Flags notes:
“The coaster sends fans twisting, turning and diving through the hazardous city streets — flying over battered skyscrapers, plunging underneath twisted bridges and dodging falling debris, all while shooting to repel these lethal demons and conquer the vicious master gargoyle.”
The ride will be replacing the “The New Revolution” VR experience that had opened up at several Six Flags locations, so we assume this coaster style VR experience will expand to other parks. “The New Revolution” was also a VR coaster, however it was not an interactive experience.
For those curious, yes you can still ride these coasters without the VR headset. When you get on you can opt out of utilizing the headsets.
Personally I think it is neat and it is evolving quickly, but it’s still got some ways to go. The coaster might add some realisim to the games themselves with authentic movements, but they look cheesy and poorly constructed elsewhere. It’s an overall good first step, and something I’d check out if I were in the park, but not something I’d rush out to go see by itself.
