Virtual reality gaming spot opens in Point Ruston
A new virtual reality arcade has made its way to Tacoma just in time for summer. Now, people can escape reality for a while and immerse themselves in a virtual world.
“It’s the future,” said Michelle Kim, 33. “It’s literally the future of gaming.”
Kim, co-owner of Digital Reality Gaming in Point Ruston, said business has been steady since they opened their arcade in April. About 15 to 20 people visit per day, but they get busier on the weekends, she said. Hanjin Kim, Michelle Kim’s husband, is the other co-owner of DRG.
DRG’s original location opened in 2017 at The Commons mall in Federal Way, Kim said.
“Our plan was not to have two stores,” Kim said. “When we decided to keep both … everyone was super excited because we have a lot of Tacoma and Lakewood people … that will go all the way to Federal Way, but now they don’t have to.”
The Ruston location currently has eight HTC Vive Cosmos Elite systems and two Roto VR chairs. Patrons can choose from up to 40 games, including first-person shooter games like Arizona Sunshine or something as simple as Fruit Ninja.
Those interested in playing the HTC Vive Cosmos Elite would have to slip on a virtual reality headset and hold two controllers in an upright position. The Roto VR chair, on the other hand, offers a more physical experience as it moves whichever direction the player moves their head.
DRG offers regular prices, as well as VIP prices for those who choose to purchase a monthly membership of $14.95. Prices are determined by the amount of time a customer spends on a system, so one hour on an HTC Vive Cosmos Elite system would cost $45 for a regular customer and $25 for a VIP customer.
One of the things that separates DRG from other virtual reality gaming arcades is it does not serve alcohol, Kim said. Some people can get carried away with alcohol, she said, so they wanted to make their business more family-oriented.
Community engagement is another thing DRG prides itself on, Kim said. In the past, they would allow children to have some free time on the gaming systems as long as they attend school regularly and do not miss any classes.
“We just like to work with the community and give kids and youth something to do instead of causing trouble and running around,” Kim said.
Hanjin Kim said the idea for the store came about when he would watch YouTube videos of people playing virtual reality systems. He thought it would be a cool idea to gather a group of people to play in one location, so he told his wife about it.
“We started making plans to open this place and came up with a lot of crazy ideas,” said Hanjin Kim, 31.
One of their crazy ideas, which did not come into fruition, was to offer virtual reality gaming in a party bus, Michelle Kim said. However, one of the downfalls of that is having to pinpoint a suitable location for people to come by.
The Kims were both raised in Tacoma. Michelle was born in California and Hanjin was born in Texas.
▪ Digital Reality Gaming is located at 5020 Main St., Suite K ,and is open from 2-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-8 p.m. Sunday.
