If you’re a thrill seeker looking to make your Summer memorable and lit, then look no further than Samsung and Six Flags. The global tech brand teamed up with the North American theme park to conceive and bring to life the first virtual roller coaster of its kind, Superman: The Ride Virtual Reality Coaster.
Stationed in Agawam, Massachusetts at Six Flags New England, the 77 miles per hour ride allows roller coasters to enjoy 5400 feet of steel lifts, dips and twists, all while being immersed in a 360 degree, larger than life, comic book experience via the Samsung Gear VR wireless headset powered by Oculus.
Once headsets are strapped on and seat belts are fastened, riders are placed on a train track at a station in the city of Metropolis. Shortly after departure, the ride takes an fateful turn for the worse as the DC villian Lex Luthor and his Lexbot army conjure up chaos throughout the city of Metropolis. The fan-favorite superhero, Superman, comes to our rescue as he attempts to save all the passengers (or coaster riders) from Luthor’s destructive grip.
VIBE had the opportunity to attend Six Flag’s Media Day and get a first-hand experience of the new coaster prior to it opening to the public. After gathering up the warrior courage to take on the ride for two go-rounds – once with the VR headset and another without – we sat down with Samsung’s own Nick Dicarlo, Vice President and General Manager of Immersive Products & Virtual Reality and found out some interesting facts about their newest collaboration based on a DC Comics fave.
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Six Flags NE Previews Superman VR Coaster At Media Day
Image Credit: Six Flags -
1. A Professor In Germany Came Up With Idea Of VR Coasters
Image Credit: Six Flags “Before Samsung’s Gear VR even existed, a professor out of Germany, Thomas Wagner of VR Coaster, had this idea to put virtual reality on roller coasters. He tried to do this with computers, but the rollercoaster would break the computer apart. This was like 3 years ago, so he started working on it and Gear VR came out and he built the tech on Gear VR. He brought that tech to a rollercoaster trade show in Orlando, all the Six Flags executives rode this kiddie rollercoaster in a parking lot and were so blown away by it so they wanted to bet big on virtual reality roller coasters.”
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2. Challenges Played A Major Part In Finished VR Experience
Image Credit: Six Flags “The New Revolution coaster in Dallas was built in 1976, so the engineering drawing for it is out of date. The earth has moved since that was done. So we had to calibrate each ride perfectly one by one. Literally one person sits on the ride calibrating it perfectly. It’s already a very popular ride without VR so he or she has to figure out how to put the same number of people through each time. How do we put that x-number of people through the ride at the same rate they normally would so the lines don’t get longer? How do we keep the phones charged, the headset clean, get everyone set up and go with the new experience? The entire thing is incredibly hard, but that’s what’s so exciting for Samsung – that Six Flags, all the way up to the chairman, betted all in on this putting out the resources behind it to make this VR experience a success.”
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3. There Are 8 More Six Flags VR Roller Coasters In America
Image Credit: Six Flags “Everyone over 13 that rides can try it in Baltimore/D.C. (Six Flag America), Atlanta (Six Flags Over Georgia), Lake George (The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom), St. Louis (Six Flags St. Louis), Los Angeles (Six Flags Magic Mountain), San Antonio (Six Flags Fiesta Texas), Arlington (Six Flags Over Texas) and Montreal (La Ronde).”
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4. VR Can Be Less Frightening For Those Afraid Of Coasters
Image Credit: Six Flags “It doesn’t feel like you’re on a rollercoaster. It feels like you’re in a different place. You’re not seeing the heights and you’re experiencing heights in a different way, so it’s less scary. The tech of the Gear VR along with the tech of the coaster give that perfect synchronization so it’s real smooth and perfectly in sync with the ride, all the way down to each seat. The quality of the experience is really high.”
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5. The Future Of Virtual Reality Is Looking Bright
Image Credit: Six Flags “I think it says the future of where this could go as a medium. The VR aspect makes every ride fresh. This year, there is just one, but next year, rollercoaster creators could have any number of rides – a fighter jet experience, magic carpet ride. They can add gamification. They can add competition in the ride, or competition on a national basis. I think it’s a way to keep coasters fresh all the time and add a whole new dimension to them. 7 or 8 million people are going to try virtual reality roller coasters this year.”
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Six Flags NE Previews Superman VR Coaster At Media Day
Image Credit: Six Flags -
Six Flags NE Previews Superman VR Coaster At Media Day
Image Credit: Six Flags -
Six Flags NE Previews Superman VR Coaster At Media Day
Image Credit: Six Flags -
Six Flags NE Previews Superman VR Coaster At Media Day
Image Credit: Six Flags -
Six Flags NE Previews Superman VR Coaster At Media Day
Image Credit: Six Flags