My favorite thing about virtual reality (VR) is the thrill of realistic, boundless adventures. Simply wearing a headset and controllers offers you endless possibilities in the world of VR that includes more than just gaming. There are thousands of apps spanning a wide variety of genres to choose from such as adventure, educational, sports, musical, relaxing and shooter. VR allows you the ability to work out, make new friends, watch movies, meditate, and more. 5th Dimension VR, located in White Plains, New York, delivers an immersive virtual reality experience for family, friends, and even coworkers.

A few weeks ago, on a Sunday morning, my husband Zack and I visited 5th Dimension VR along with our friends Yari and Julie. When we arrived, we parked at the seven-story municipal parking garage across the street, costing us only $1 per hour. Entering the facility, we were immersed in a darkened room lit up by screens. The room was designed with a blue and orange color scheme and held 18 comfortable, spacious VR stations. Each station contained a mat covering the floor, large TV screen, wide projection on the wall, and VR headset with controllers. The room also had a fridge with drinks for purchase and a bar with chairs for lounging.

One of the co-owners, Andrew, instructed us to check in at the front desk. There we received a clean faceplate to be inserted into our VR headsets, and also hand sanitizer to scrub our hands with before handling the controllers. Once checked in, our names appeared on the projections of four adjacent stations.

Andrew summoned us over to benches at the front, and as we sat down, the TV in front of us illuminated. On the screen, a five-minute tutorial video narrated by Andrew himself showed us how to don the headsets and secure the controllers. We learned that the Valve Index headsets provided by the facility have a 130-degree field of view, which is wider than most other headsets and helps to enhance the immersion of the experience and reduce motion sickness. The video also explained that onlookers would be able to watch our VR perspective on the screen by our station. When the video ended, we each skipped over to our station, removed our shoes, and assembled our equipment. We were ready to begin!

I loved the first game we played, Elven Assassin, requiring the four of us to slay orcs using bows and arrows to prevent them from entering the elven town. Since the headset had a microphone and earpieces attached, we were able to communicate with each other while devising strategies to defeat the monsters. We decided to spread out, and each of us stood on different lookout towers so that we could cover the various entrances to the village. While it was tempting for me to rapidly fire arrows at every target, I found more success when I moved slowly and aimed carefully. The game was challenging because some of the orcs launched axes at our heads which we had to physically dodge or else be eliminated for the remainder of that round. Another difficulty was that some of the orcs needed to be shot multiple times before they would succumb. Personally, I enjoyed dodging the axes and zeroing in on the dragons that would speedily zoom through the sky, which my teammates had more trouble with. This game was both mine and Julie’s favorite.

Giving us a breather, we then played a much more relaxing game called Cloudslands: VR Mini Golf. This game, however, had a slightly hectic edge since we all were putting at the same time instead of waiting for each turn, as in real mini-golf. While the last game required us to work together as a team, this one was a competition between the four of us, and the score was calculated based on how much time and the number of strokes it took for each player to score their ball in the hole. Our balls encountered moving obstacles and bridges, making it difficult to advance the ball forward. At one point, we laughed as Julie’s ball ended up in an unusual and tricky spot after she took a swing, leading to a few comical moments of struggle as she tried to maneuver it.

Once the mini-golf game ended, we decided to embark on the next adventure and transitioned to a nerve-racking VR game: Richie’s Plank Experience—Rocket Race. At first, I attempted to play a version of the game where I had to walk out on the 80th story of a skyscraper’s elevator and jump off of a 525-foot-high plank, but I was too afraid. Zack, however, mastered the petrifying game and went on to play Nightmare mode, where he got attacked by vicious spiders in the elevator. In the meantime, I enjoyed the exhilaration of soaring freely around the skyscrapers. I pressed on the triggers powering my jetpack arms and held my breath. Suddenly, I started accelerating off the roof! Around me appeared skyscrapers of all colors and shapes, which I swiftly dodged by twisting my torso this way and that. I successfully swooped through each red-and-white striped marker, feeling as though I was Harry Potter soaring through the golden hoops during a game of Quidditch. The best feeling of Richie’s Plank Experience—Rocket Race was the astonishment that my imagination became a reality; I was flying!

Ready for something different, we all played Synth Rider together, a dancing game where we had to punch along to the beat of the song that was playing. Yari selected a song, and as it played, different colored orbs came closer to us in lieu of the rhythm of the music. When the orbs reached us, we had to hit them with our controllers, and the more timely each person was, the higher that person scored. After the song ended, the final score was calculated to let us know how we placed. Although I thought I was doing well while playing, I ended up in last place. Not only was this game Zack’s favorite, but he also defeated and outscored the rest of us, scoring three times as many points as the person in second place!

For our final game, we played RevolVR 3, a Wild West fast-paced shooting game, where we had to shoot each other and try to get the most kills. We each chose a character with a unique weapon and were placed in different spots along the battle arena. Once the game began, there was no time for me to think about strategy before the others started firing at me from all directions. I tried to duck and hide behind whatever obstacles I could find, but it was challenging to hide from the shots coming at me in all directions. I waited to shoot for a few moments while I looked around for the other characters and tried to remain hidden in case any of the others had not spotted me yet. As soon as I found another character, I shot at them and tried to kill them.

Once a character was shot several times, the system recorded the shooter as having the kill. The shot character disappeared from the game for a moment, then reappeared in another area to continue playing. I loved how fast-paced this game was and how I had to stay alert because I never knew where they were going to shoot me from next. Although one of the employees showed me how to hold the gun so that I would be able to aim well and get the shot off every time, for some reason I did not get so many kills. While Zack and Julie killed my character a few times, Yari by far killed all of our characters the most, leading the scoreboard every round. This game was Yari’s favorite.

After we finished our allotted 80 minutes of gameplay, a complimentary highlight reel of the games from our character’s point of view was sent to our individual emails. Andrew told us that he himself wrote the Python computer code to make this happen. The video was a great keepsake for us to bring home after a memorable day.

Additionally, Andrew revealed that he works full-time at Bloomberg but co-owns the business with his wife, Yan. They started 5th Dimension a little over a year ago. Andrew does the programming as he was previously in the software gaming industry, and his wife manages the place.

5th Dimension VR often hosts birthday parties or other large groups and offers engaging team-building events. This summer, they will be organizing a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) and VR camp for children ages 8-12, including 3D printing and robotics; Minecraft and Roblox coding; stop motion, filmmaking and GarageBand; and Scratch and MakeCode coding. Once we were finished talking with Andrew and the other employees, we thanked them for the incredible experience and said goodbye.

Exhausted from the great workout and feeling famished, we walked over to J-Joe Kosher Pizza and Berrylicious, a Kosher pizza and frozen yogurt store conveniently located right next door. We ordered a pizza and smoothies, which were delicious. We were delighted that there was a kosher restaurant right there!

Overall, I had a blast watching my imagination come to life at 5th Dimension VR. I appreciated the variety of 40-plus games and experiences, especially the multiplayer options that enabled me to share the experience with Zack and our friends. I found the staff to be extremely helpful and personable while setting us up to play in the beginning and then frequently checking in on us throughout our experience. In addition, because I felt sore the next day, I am confident that I got a phenomenal workout in the process. I look forward to exploring additional VR games during my next visit!

A few days after our visit, Zack and I interviewed the owners and founders, husband and wife Andrew Szczeszynski and Yan Zhang, to learn more about them and their business. Keep reading to see our full interview below.

When was it that you first became interested in VR?

Yan: When searching for a unique venue for our son’s 10th birthday, we explored various options, from trampoline parks to rock climbing, ice skating, painting, Dave & Buster parties, and even an escape room. However, we wanted something fresh and exciting that would create lasting memories for everyone. It was during a visit to Disney in 2018 that we stumbled upon Pandora and experienced an exhilarating 3D ride. At that moment, a thought crossed my mind: “I wish I could have this type of experience every day, without enduring long queues!” This sparked our research into VR, as we realized its immense potential not only for entertainment but also for transforming how we live and work.

Andrew: I first saw VR in 1999 where each eye lens had a resolution of 320 x 200 and the delay between moving and seeing anything move was about a second. I then tried it again in 2018 and was just blown away at how immersive and responsive it was. I was hooked!

What is your favorite VR game?

Yan: My all-time favorite VR game is Loco Dojo. Imagine a lighthearted family game night but you are doing it in VR. Picture yourself catching flying fish with your hand, which resembles crab claws, or swinging sausage nun-chucks around to protect your piggies from mischievous bats. My absolute favorite is the “pig crossing winding bridge” challenge. In this game, I must guide a pig across a bridge by dangling a carrot in front of it, while playfully tapping its side (my rear) to keep it moving forward. It’s hilarious! There are 16 silly games to choose from, and there’s never a dull moment.

Andrew: My favorite VR game is Elven Assassin because it is a really simple game to learn but hard to master. The player versus player combat is the best in VR! You have to react and dodge arrows while also dishing out your own. It’s exciting and active as you dodge and weave around the playing field.

Do you hope to open up other VR locations in the future?

Yan: While it’s always exciting to think about expanding to other VR locations, as a business, we are still in the early stages of our journey. Rather than being eager for rapid expansion, I believe in the importance of perfecting our current business operations. We want to focus on delivering the best possible experience to our customers and ensuring that our current location thrives before considering any future expansions.

Andrew: Absolutely! But we must first figure out how to make our first location work flawlessly and independently.

Andrew, when we visited 5th Dimension, you mentioned to us that you primarily work on coding. What have you written code for besides the video highlight reels?

Andrew: I have a long history in computer programming. I started working in a video games company. I have done practically every kind of software out there, and now I work in the financial industry. For the arcade, I wrote software to automatically create a ‘best of’ movie clip for each player that gets automatically sent at the end of each session. I also developed some scheduling software as well as automation software.

Yan, what are your favorite parts about managing the store and do you have any funny memories?

Yan: I love setting up parties. We’re talking loads of birthday bashes here; nothing beats seeing kids come together and jump headfirst into the same game. Like Paintball, for instance—once kids start playing, laughter and shouts fill the entire arcade. It’s pure joy and energy. Those moments make me proud to be part of their special memories.

And you know what’s funny? Parents sometimes ask us how we handle all the screaming and craziness. (We often have birthday parties with 18-kids.) I just chuckle and say, “Hey, we’re used to it! When kids start hollering and busting out chicken dances or floss moves, we know they’re having the time of their lives!” It’s all part of the fun.

Funny memories: I’ve got a memory of two girls playing zombie games. We asked them if they were up for a medium-scary or a very scary experience. Guess what? They boldly declared they wanted the scariest game in town. So, we geared them up and got the game started. But here’s the funny part—within just two minutes, they leaped out of their headset, screaming like there was no tomorrow! Everyone around couldn’t help but burst into laughter. It was pure comedy gold. Eventually, they admitted that maybe they needed something a bit less realistic. Can’t blame them, though! Those zombies can be a bit too much for the faint-hearted. A funny question we hear all the time from the players: “How do I duck down?” Us: “You just bend your knees!”

The following questions were answered by both Andrew and Yan.

What’s unique about 5th Dimension compared to other VR places?

5th dimension is unique because we focus on the bonding aspect by having friends play together in multiplayer games. We also cater to birthday parties and events.

Can you tell me a bit more details about the upcoming summer program: What activities will be included?

Each day our STEAM and VR program is divided into two parts:

a) In the morning, we have more hands-on activities with four different weekly programs:

1) 3D printing and robotics

2) Minecraft and Roblox coding

3) Stop motion, filmmaking, and GarageBand

4) Scratch & Makecode coding

b) In the afternoon, we do STEAM activities in VR:

1) 3D modeling in VR

2) Tour of our solar system in VR

3) Exploring planetary motion in VR

4) Drawing in 3D in VR

5) Exploring famous locations on earth in VR via Google Earth

Kids also get some time to play and self-explore in VR.

What is the cost per week?

$815 for a full day for the week, or $450 for half a day (morning or afternoon) for the week.

How many hours per day will it be running?

9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. “Morning Only” runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Afternoon Only runs from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

How many staff members per camper ratio?

At most, six students per staff member.

Can you give our readers the link to sign up?

https://www.5thdimensionvr.com/steam

Why do you think our readers should visit 5th Dimension VR?

Words cannot describe how immersive, exciting and breathtaking VR has become. We could tell you about the countless people who refuse to walk a plank out of fear even though they know they are on solid ground. We could talk about the screams as players get attacked by realistic zombies or monsters. We could talk about the thrill of flying through the air, convinced that you’re Iron Man, or the wonder of exploring any location on earth virtually. But none of these do justice to the actual experience, especially when you’re surrounded by friends and you embark on an adventure together.

Admission: Off-peak, Monday to Thursday: $16.99 for 30 minutes, $27.99 for 60 minutes, $41.99 for 90 minutes, and $55.98 for 120 minutes. Each session includes a 10 minute tutorial. Peak, Friday to Sunday: $19.99 for 30 minutes, $32.99 for 60 minutes, $49.49 for 90 minutes, and $65.98 for 120 minutes. Each session includes a 10 minute tutorial.

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 2-9 p.m., extended hours on weekends (Friday: noon to 11 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.}

For private events, call in advance for additional hours.

Address: 55 Church Street, White Plains, NY 10601

Phone: (914) 831-0081

Website: https://www.5thdimensionvr.com

Ahuva Greenberg is a recruitment coordinator at Mediabrands and a shadchan on YU Connects. If you have any recommendations of fun places for Ahuva to cover, please email her husband at [email protected].