Sandbox VR achieves a remarkable financial milestone and launches its inaugural franchise in Berlin, Germany.
Steve Zhao, the CEO of Sandbox VR, shared on X that the company has eclipsed $200 million in total ticket sales. He also revealed that the in-house studio is currently creating content focused on cultural education.
“Your local Sandbox VR will not only feature virtual interpretations of films and escape rooms but also museums, zoos, and cultural sites,” Zhao states. Until now, Sandbox VR has solely produced games.
In a blog entry, Zhao outlines his aspiration for social, free-roaming, fully-tracked virtual reality, which can only be realized in dedicated VR arcades like Sandbox VR due to the necessary space and technology.
“Alongside VR headsets, participants don a variety of sensors on their wrists, ankles, chest, and head, enabling accurate full-body tracking. This technology provides a sense of physical presence among individuals in a shared space. It may not be exactly like The Matrix, but we are advancing closer and closer.”
Zhao envisions harnessing this technology to transform education. One day, VR could facilitate immersive educational experiences such as floating in zero gravity aboard the ISS, viewing extinct species in their natural environments, or experiencing historical events like the founding of America.
Sandbox VR is operating over 50 venues globally, with plans for 30 new franchises in 2025 alone. The first of these recently opened in East Side Mall, Berlin.
The company has secured an extra $7 million in funding, aimed at fostering innovation and content creation. This includes a collaboration on a second project using a Netflix IP known as Rebel Moon: The Descent. The initial project is Squid Virtuals, a Sandbox VR adaptation of The Squid Game, which proved to be quite successful.
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