Dozens of people wearing the clunky black devices wander around the lounge, periodically craning their necks. They're demoing games through VR Fest, the annual three-day gathering billed as the largest and first virtual reality festival. Behind the lenses, they are satisfying one of entertainment's most cathartic goals: escape. To enter alternate realms ranging from the documentary to the fantastical.
Of course, that's also a goal of tourism and Las Vegas, which appropriates the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, Venetian canals and pillars of ancient Rome on a single street. So while these demos are a one-night affair for the Level Up lounge, MGM and other casino operators are discussing how to integrate the headsets as a virtual reality scene emerges in Las Vegas. With three brick-and-mortar VR arcades scheduled to launch this year, the technology might have found a cultural partner.
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