Inside Immersive Gamebox, a new interactive gaming concept in the UAE

Two outlets have opened in Dubai and Sharjah, with more being planned across the country

Immersive Gamebox, which promises a hyper-immersive, gear-free gaming experience, has opened in Dubai and Sharjah. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

The outlets are in Magic Planet entertainment centres in City Centre Mirdif in Dubai and City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah

Visors serve as the only gear inside the game rooms

Inside one of the game rooms

Squid Game experience with three players

Visitors play Dalgona, part of the Squid Game experience

Immersive Gamebox utilises high-tech rooms equipped with patented touch screens, 3D motion tracking and surround sound

Games are made for two to six players and are meant to be competitive

More Immersive Gamebox outlets are being planned in the UAE

A new immersive gaming concept, where players use their entire body to interact with a game, has made its way to Dubai and Sharjah from London.

Immersive Gamebox, which utilises high-tech rooms equipped with patented touch screens, 3D motion tracking and surround sound, are similar to virtual reality games, but promise an almost gearless experience. Players only need to wear visors for what the company calls a "hyper-immersive" experience.

Two Immersive Gamebox branches have opened within Magic Planet outlets in City Centre Mirdif in Dubai and City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah, with more being planned across the UAE.

How it works

The games in Immersive Gamebox are made for two to six players and are meant to be competitive, with each player donning a visor. Once a game is selected, teams are created and the competition begins. There are currently 12 titles to choose from, including the popular Squid Game and Angry Birds. Other titles include Alien Aptitude Test, Ticket to Mars and Psychedelic Mansion, as well as Temple of Coins and Trivia Mash-up.

The games, which are also available in Arabic, typically run for 15 to 30 minutes — but some titles last up to an hour.

First launched in 2019, Immersive Gamebox was cofounded by Will Dean, its chief executive, and David Spindler, who serves as the company's chief financial officer. Dean was the founder and former chief executive of the popular endurance event Tough Mudder.

The gaming platform has since expanded to 16 locations across Europe and the US, including London, New York and Berlin. It plans to open 250 locations across Europe, Africa and the Middle East over the next three years.

“The Middle East has a burgeoning leisure and entertainment sector and, we look forward to leveraging the growth opportunities that the Emirates presents,” Dean tells The National.

He says he is particularly excited about the localisation of some of the titles.

“It’s been great to see our content transformed and localised into Arabic,” he says.

“UAE is becoming a hotspot in the entertainment space. So many production studios are working with the region and it’s been inspiring to watch all the content that’s being filmed in the region recently.”

Tickets to Immersive Gamebox start at Dh70 per person. More information is available at immersivegamebox.com