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Game On: Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality Room at the University of Tennessee takes students to another world

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A new trend in gaming is completely interactive and totally fun. It's virtual reality. 

The University of Tennessee recently set up a Virtual Reality Room for students and staff to enjoy the reality of fun. 

UT Library Supervisor Paris Whalon makes sure a special visor fits. Players move their heads a lot in the virtual reality room in the University of Tennessee library.

"It is our immersive space where you are able to go into a different environment and just play around. You can do Google Earth where you're experiencing different countries or you can play a game," she said. 

It's Miranda Elliott's first time and there's a learning curve. 

To viewers, Miranda looks like she is swatting at the air. 

Her view changes as she moves the hand devices. In her visor, it looks like she uses lightsabers to hit red and blue boxes on the beat. The game is called Beat Sabers. 

Another game sends her wandering around the small room. In her mind, she's interacting with virtual animals.

Miranda said, "It's like a normal video game where you're trying to get used to the controls and all of that and once you do it makes more sense." 

Miranda doesn't see her own hands in virtual reality, just an image of a controller. At one point she moves her hands to toss a virtual pebble into the virtual water. 

Paris Whalon / UT Library Supervisor physical world disappears and you are completely immersed in that virtual environment," Paris said. 

First timer Ashley Smith put on the visor and saw balloons. 

"These are sturdy balloons. They are sturdy!" she said as she lunged to pop them.

She said, "I have never had so much trouble with balloons." 

After the experience, Ashley and Miranda removed their visors and both said they'll return to virtual reality. 

"It was so much fun. I was playing carnival games there at the end. And so I was attempting to shoot the bow and arrow and shoot basketballs which of course I did as good as I would in real life," Ashley said. 

It isn't real life. And that's why the virtual reality room is so fun. 

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