The future is all about us!
The VR-Hut: Immerse Yourself in a Parallel Reality
The future is all about us. Arnaud Percy founded VR-Hut, a virtual reality center based in Waterloo, to meet the needs of gamers—and more.
The future is all about us, VR-Hut. Killing zombies, defending your village with arrows against strange creatures, falling from the top of a skyscraper, finding yourself climbing the Himalayas, or in the trenches of the war between the Allies and the Germans...; a non-exhaustive list of experiences to enjoy as if you were really there, with a headset and microphone strapped to your head.
VR-Hut, a virtual reality center based in Waterloo, has been open since October and is still in its early stages.“I’ve been a geek for a very long time,”explains Arnaud Percy, the project’s founder and business partner of Mathieu De Clercq, the venue’s manager.
“A few years ago, I actually founded the Belwatech repair shops (Editor’s note: there’s one in Wavre and another in Waterloo, among others, and nearly a dozen in Wallonia and Brussels). But then, last summer, my vacation was probably a little too long, so I started exploring this idea of a virtual reality room.”
In addition to gamers, there is another target audience: architects
The fact is, the sector is becoming increasingly appealing: “Virtual reality has taken a giant leap forward in recent months, thanks to the arrival on the market of new headsets and increasingly high-performance hardware, particularly with significantly higher resolution and frame rates. You no longer get motion sickness when playing, as you used to, because of the visuals.”
The concept appeals to gaming enthusiasts, but not only them;“For example, before setting up all the machines here, I tested them at home. My wife—who usually couldn’t care less about video games—loved them and played for hours (laughs)! Plus, there’s a fun, accessible side to it that everyone enjoys.”
Beyond gaming itself, our interviewee sees other applications for virtual reality: he is currently working on developing one of them. It is intended for architects…
"Using a specialized 3D program, an architect can take a virtual tour of the house, as if they were actually there. This is obviously extremely useful when developing a project."
Determined to fully commit to virtual reality, Arnaud Percy also hopes to expand his business.“I’m planning to open a venue in Brussels and franchise another one on Réunion Island. This would eventually allow us to organize international tournaments—remotely, of course. Because I believe we’re heading toward the continued expansion of virtual reality. It has a bright future ahead of it, and it’s a fascinating world.”
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There's something for everyone
VR-Hut is a space with three rooms that can accommodate four players each, as well as two additional private rooms, fora total capacity of fourteen people who can play simultaneously.“We offer about twenty different games, which we select to provide the best possible experiences, but the catalog is obviously larger, and we can adapt to customer requests. “The genres are quite varied; there are games that are more puzzle-based—such as escape rooms where you have to solve puzzles—and others that focus more on action, strategy, and reflexes…,” explains Arnaud Percy.
The venue is open to everyone— “but not recommended for children under 7”—and offers plenty of options: playing alone, with friends, or… with coworkers, since the managers also offer team-building activities. A meeting room is available for that purpose.
"We're open 7 days a week, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., but you need to make a reservation a few hours in advance. "
Want to learn more aboutVR-Hut sessions? Feel free to follow us on social media:FacebookorInstagram. Weregularlypost about new games and current promotions at our center.