Virtual reality tech catching the eyes of local businesses

24 Mar 2018  2098 | Cambodia Travel News

A player experiences boxing at a Virtual Reality Cambodia event in Phnom Penh in October. Facebook
A player experiences boxing at a Virtual Reality Cambodia event in Phnom Penh in October. Facebook

Giant pink jellyfish float within arm’s reach as schools of migrating fish dart past. Suddenly, a giant blue whale – mouth agape and teeming with krill – surges into view.

“I like this game, it’s just really peaceful,” says Ea Saraboth, the founder of Virtual Reality Cambodia. “The whale is to-scale, too.”

Wearing a headset that includes goggles and headphones, Saraboth’s own senses are immersed in the underwater environment. Onlookers can watch a 2D version played on a television, the video tracking his eyesight as he explores the 360-degree field of vision.

Saraboth is a big fan of virtual reality, or VR. The walls of his home in Sen Sok district are lined with neatly stacked boxes of headsets and controllers, and he doesn’t try to contain his excitement regarding the relatively new technology.

“My first goal is to get people to know what VR actually is,” he said. “It’s a game-changing technology – like bitcoin or the internet – that could really apply to a lot of industries.”

Saraboth founded Virtual Reality Cambodia about a year ago, renting out VR sets to companies hosting events or functions. Even though business has been slow so far, Saraboth is optimistic about the future of the industry.

“We rent out the tech by hour, and everyone who has tried it is just completely immersed,” he said. “Maybe in six months, we’ll reach a threshold where Cambodians start seeing the entertainment value in this tech.”

Until recently, only one company – GameStation – was offering a consumer-oriented VR experience in Cambodia. Located on Street 174, the business attracted a steady stream of gamers who rented out PlayStation 4 virtual reality rigs for $10 an hour, according to its manager Jeffrey Steeves.

“Our virtual reality rooms were doing well, but they could’ve been doing better” he said, noting the steep price likely limited the number of backpackers or travellers who would be willing to test out the games.

His firm recently moved down the street to board-game emporium Happy Damrei, which has the same owner. Steeves said he hoped the consolidation would cut the price in half and help draw more new users.

“I thought VR would be a fad, and so did a lot of people, but it’s only getting better and better,” he said. “I’ve seen gamers turn into VR believers after they’ve played.”

At least one local game development company has expressed an interest in creating VR games. Ear Uy, co-founder of the developer Sabay Osja, said that while his company might expand into VR in the future, the barriers to entry were just too high right now.

Read more...

Recommended Cambodia Tours

Cambodia Day Tours

Cambodia Day Tours

Angkor Temple Tours

Angkor Temple Tours

Cambodia Classic Tours

Cambodia Classic Tours

Promotion Tours

Promotion Tours

Adventure Tours

Adventure Tours

Cycling Tours

Cycling Tours