Sandbox VR to Launch First Permanent Arizona Site in Gilbert
Sandbox VR is scheduled to open its first permanent Arizona location in Gilbert on 5 June. The venue will be situated at SanTan Village, a major shopping, dining and entertainment destination in the East Valley region near Phoenix.
The new site marks the company’s first permanent presence in Arizona. The expansion has been led by franchise partners Andrew Perkinson and Tylor Hardy, who reunited after careers in institutional real estate to bring the business to the Phoenix area.
Founded in 2016, Sandbox VR has expanded across multiple international markets. The company operates more than 80 locations across 12 countries and 5 continents. It reports nearly 150,000 monthly players across its network and has recorded more than $300 million in lifetime sales.
The business focuses on location-based virtual reality entertainment designed for groups. Participants use headsets, haptic vests and motion-tracking equipment during gameplay. The technology allows players to see and interact with one another within a shared virtual environment while moving freely through physical space.
Sandbox VR develops its experiences through an in-house team that includes developers with previous experience at EA, Sony and Ubisoft. The company offers a catalogue of unique virtual reality titles available only at its venues.
Among the experiences available is Stranger Things: Catalyst, created in collaboration with Netflix. Another title, Age of Dinosaurs, was developed in partnership with the Natural History Museum of London and dinosaur specialists. The experience features detailed three-dimensional dinosaur models within a virtual reality setting.
The Gilbert venue will occupy more than 4,000 square feet. It will include four private gameplay rooms where groups of up to six people can participate in virtual reality sessions together.
Players will be equipped with headsets, motion sensors and haptic vests during their visit. The system is designed to track movement and allow interaction between participants throughout each experience.
The venue will also provide personalised highlight videos following gameplay sessions. These recordings allow guests to review and share moments from their visit after completing an experience.
In addition to the gaming facilities, the location will feature a patio covering approximately 1,000 square feet. The space will be available for visitors before and after sessions and can also be rented for private events.
To coincide with the opening, the company has launched a booking promotion. Customers who reserve online before 15 May will receive a 30 per cent discount on the total cost of their experience.
Visitors to the Gilbert site will be able to choose from 11 unique virtual reality experiences. Age of Dinosaurs is among the available titles, alongside Stranger Things: Catalyst and Rebel Moon: The Descent.
Additional experiences include Deadwood PHOBIA, Deadwood Valley, Deadwood Mansion, Squid Game Virtuals, Seekers of the Shard: Dragonfire, Curse of Davy Jones, Amber Sky 2088 and UFL: Unbound Fighting League.
The opening will add a new entertainment venue to SanTan Village and establish Sandbox VR’s first permanent location in Arizona. The launch additionally extends the company’s network of virtual reality sites operating across multiple regions worldwide.
