Skip to main content

Six Flags rolls out VR tower ride experience

News

Virtual reality (VR) is about to be introduced on a number of tower rides at Six Flags parks across North America.

The regional park chain is picking up where it left off last season when it gave a VR ‘remix’ to a number of its roller coasters. Once again, Samsung Gear headsets will be used to provide the VR content in partnership with Samsung Electronics America.

Since March, guests at Six Flags Over Georgia outside Atlanta have been able to enjoy Drop of Doom VR. The experience transforms the park’s Archphobia (Gyro Tilt) ride into an intense encounter with a giant, mutant spider. The same content will soon be rolled out to tower rides at other parks, starting with Six Flags Great America. The venue near Chicago will offer the VR experience on its Giant Drop ride as from April 29th, the first day of its 2017 season. On May 5th, Six Great Adventure in New Jersey adds Drop of Doom to Zumanjaro. As from July 14, the experience will be also available on Scream at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. All four rides are by Intamin.

Drop of Doom – the VR tower ride experience

Initially, guests at each park will be able to enjoy Drop of Doom VR without any additional charge. The experience begins with a virtual vertical ascent up 100 storeys, whilst teetering off the edge of a helicopter. Once at the top of the tower, passengers see a city under siege by enormous spiders. A giant arachnid spews baby spiders that virtually crawl all over each passenger’s body. Guests are then plunged straight down between skyscrapers for a final showdown with a spider the size of a van!

“Each season we push to be on the cutting edge of innovation,” notes Six Flags Great America park president, Hank Salemi. “Our latest virtual reality experience brings together two fears innate in most people – heights and spiders.”

A separate VR tower ride concept is understood to be under development by Six Flags for use on rides by S&S.

Share this
Owen Ralph

Owen Ralph

Feature writer Owen Ralph has covered theme parks and attractions for over 20 years for publications including blooloop, Park World, World’s Fair, Interpark, Kirmes Revue and Park International. He has also served on boards/committees with IAAPA and the TEA. He grew up just 30 minutes from Blackpool (no coincidence?)

More from this author

Companies featured in this post

More from this author

Related content

Your web browser is out of date. Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.

Find out how to update