Michigan’s First Free-Roam Virtual Reality Center Coming to Holland

A new option for immersive, virtual reality gaming is coming to West Michigan. The state's first free-roam VR center is set to open in Holland.

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Zero Latency, owned by Zachary Rhoda and Benjamin Hulst, is coming to the corner of U.S.-31 and James Street at 2522 Van Ommen Drive, according to the Holland Sentinel.

Operating in 24 countries, this is Zero Latency's ninth U.S. location.

Rhoda tells the Holland Sentinel,

It's an eight-person, over 2,000-square-foot room where you and your friends aren't hooked to anything at all. You have a backpack that houses the computer system and your helmet camera.

So there are no cables or wires, you'll be be untethered, free to roam inside whatever game your playing -- whether it's a warehouse full of zombies, outer space, an exotic island -- or whatever location the game is set.

Hulst tells the Holland Sentinel,

Zero Latency works directly with Ubisoft. They work exclusively together and build games based on their hardware, and they use some very expensive and fast-processing computers. The headset has a tracking system, so you can see the other players without running into them. It's very, very unique.

The new Zero Latency location in Holland will have North America's first 401cr from Forced Dynamics:

"a motion simulator that tilts and rotates to simulate the experience of being in a car, plane, or pretty much any other vehicle. It can be configured as a driving simulator or racing simulator, a flight simulator, or customized to match your requirements. It comes... with an on-board computer, monitors, a 900 watt surround sound system, and a smooth, powerful force feedback wheel.

Some of the games you can play at Zero Latency include Far Cry VR, Undead Arena, Zombie Survival, Singularity, and Outbreak Origins.

The new Zero Latency facility is under construction right now. Rhoda and Hulst are aiming for a soft open in September and hope to be fully operation by Halloween.

If you're thinking, man, I wish there was one of these places closer to me, good news! Rhoda and Hulst tell the Holland Sentinel they have secured additional locations in Grand Rapids, Detroit, Lansing and Ann Arbor.