Zero Latency
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| Zero Latency | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Industry | Location-based virtual reality entertainment |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Tim Ruse, Scott Vandonkelaar, Kyel Smith |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia |
| Notable Personnel | Tim Ruse (CEO), Scott Vandonkelaar (CTO), Kyel Smith (COO) |
| Products | Free-roam multiplayer VR arena system and experiences |
| Website | https://zerolatencyvr.com |
Zero Latency (also branded Zero Latency VR) is an Australian company, based in Melbourne, that develops and licenses free-roam, multiplayer location-based virtual reality arenas. Players wear untethered headsets and walk together through a large tracked floor while sharing one virtual world. The company was started in 2013 by Tim Ruse, Scott Vandonkelaar and Kyel Smith, and opened a public free-roam VR venue in Melbourne in August 2015, which it describes as the world's first.[1][2][3]
Zero Latency sells its system to entertainment venues under a licensing model rather than operating every site itself. Its own catalogue of experiences sits alongside licensed games based on Ubisoft's Far Cry, Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 and Sony Pictures' Jumanji.[2][4] In 2026 the company reported more than 150 venues in 30 countries.[5][6] The private equity firm Advent Partners took a majority stake in August 2021.[7]
History
Inversion Project and early prototypes (2013-2014)
Ruse told SmartCompany in 2017 that he and his two co-founders "started building Zero Latency in 2013" and incorporated the company in 2014, and that the original idea came from Vandonkelaar, who became chief technology officer.[1] In September 2013, Road to VR covered an early project by Ruse, the Inversion Project by Zero Latency Media: a low-cost "pop-up" VR environment in which a player wore an Oculus Rift connected to a computer carried in a backpack. The system combined motion capture and inertial sensors into a 360-degree tracking setup running at 60 Hz, and the team demonstrated it with a zombie game called Zombie Fort: Smackdown. At the time the creators were testing play spaces of up to 10 by 10 meters and planned a public demonstration in Melbourne at the start of 2014, followed by multiplayer support.[8]
The company says its prototype debuted at Pause Fest in 2014.[2] Ruse said the founders raised $32,000 in a 2014 crowdfunding campaign that pre-sold tickets, and Road to VR reported that Sydney-based venture firm Carthona Capital invested $1 million in the company the same year.[1][9]
First venue (2015)
Zero Latency opened its first arena in a Melbourne warehouse in August 2015. Hypergrid Business described a 400 square meter play area where groups of up to six players carried a backpack computer and a gun controller, wore an Oculus Rift Development Kit 2 and fought zombies in 50-minute sessions priced at A$88 per player.[3] The Next Web reported that the backpacks held Alienware Alpha PCs and that players were tracked by 129 PlayStation Eye cameras.[10] The company told Hypergrid Business that only one of the more than 400 people who had tested the system had stopped playing because of motion sickness.[3]
International expansion and funding (2016-2019)
In December 2016, Road to VR reported a further $7 million funding round backed by Thorney Investment Group, Contango Asset Management and Regal Funds Management, with Carthona contributing $2.7 million. By then the system had been installed in Tokyo, Madrid and Orlando, and the Melbourne site had been running for more than a year.[9] In the June 2017 SmartCompany interview, Ruse said the business had annual revenue of more than $12 million and more than 50 staff, with eight systems running and a target of 24 by the end of that year.[1]
Zero Latency released Sol Raiders in February 2019. It is a four versus four player-versus-player game played across three objective-based maps; at the time the company had 25 locations in operation.[11]
The following month the company announced a second-generation platform built on hardware from HP and Microsoft, offered to new operators and as an upgrade for existing sites, with the first installations planned for Melbourne and Dallas. Road to VR reported 26 locations at that point.[12]
Licensed franchises and Advent Partners (2020-2024)
Ubisoft announced Far Cry VR: Dive into Insanity in September 2020 as an experience exclusive to Zero Latency venues. Set on the Rook Islands from Far Cry 3, it runs for about 30 minutes for up to eight players and launched on 10 June 2021. Road to VR counted more than 45 Zero Latency locations in 22 countries at the announcement and 50 in 23 countries at launch.[13] Engadget reported that players at the time used HP Reverb headsets connected to backpack PCs with Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics, in play areas of 200 to 400 square meters depending on the site.[14]
On 11 August 2021, Advent Partners announced an investment in Zero Latency through its Advent Partners 2 Fund. Carthona Capital kept a stake, and the three co-founders continued as chief executive (Ruse), chief technology officer (Vandonkelaar) and chief operating officer (Smith). Advent said the business had more than 50 sites across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.[15] Trade publication Amusements and Attractions reported that Advent had taken majority ownership and that the founders remained key shareholders.[7]
In September 2022, Zero Latency and Games Workshop announced a free-roam game based on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine for up to eight players, then planned to reach venues from 2023; Road to VR reported more than 55 venues in 24 countries at the time.[16] The game, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine VR - Defenders of Avarax, became available on 25 September 2024, when the company said it had reached 100 venues and operated in more than 26 countries.[17]
Cyberpunk 2077 and Jumanji (2026)
On 2 February 2026, Zero Latency announced a licensing deal with Sony Pictures for a Jumanji experience.[5] In August 2026 it set the launch of Jumanji: The Lost Levels for 4 December 2026 and described it as its first fully hand-tracked game, a controller-free experience with no buttons or peripherals.[18]
At the end of March 2026, CD Projekt Red and Zero Latency announced a co-operative free-roam experience set in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe. It is a self-contained experience built for Zero Latency's arenas rather than a port of the original game, and the announcement gave no release date.[19][20]
Technology
Zero Latency's hardware has gone through several generations, summarized below. The company has described its role as that of an integrator: Road to VR quoted it in 2019 as saying "we don't always want to be positioned as a hardware company".[12]
| Period | Headset | Computing | Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 prototype | Oculus Rift | Computer in a backpack | Motion capture combined with inertial sensors, 60 Hz[8] |
| 2015 Melbourne venue | Oculus Rift Development Kit 2 | Alienware Alpha PC in a backpack | 129 PlayStation Eye cameras[10] |
| First generation platform (to 2019) | OSVR HDK2 | Custom backpack PC | Optical outside-in tracking with external beacons[12] |
| Second generation platform (2019) | HP Windows Mixed Reality headset, later HP Reverb | HP Z VR backpack | Inside-out tracking[12][21] |
| Wireless platform (2022) | HTC Vive Focus 3 | On-site PCs streaming over Wi-Fi 6E | Headset inside-out tracking[21][22] |
The 2019 platform supported up to eight players in a 60 by 30 foot (18.3 by 9 meter) space, and the company said its six existing games were compatible with it.[12] In May 2022 Zero Latency replaced backpack PCs with Vive Focus 3 headsets that receive video rendered by PCs on site over Wi-Fi 6E.[21] The company gives the headset's combined resolution as 4896 by 2448 pixels with a 90 Hz refresh rate, supports groups of up to eight players, and says the platform was built with HTC, HP and Cisco.[22][2] UploadVR reported that the first site with the new system was Funlab's Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq in Docklands, Melbourne, with selected sites in the United States and Europe to follow in summer 2022, and noted that a software update had raised the Vive Focus 3's maximum tracking boundary to 33 by 30 meters.[23] After trying it, UploadVR's Harry Baker called it his "most comfortable, reliable and enjoyable session at Zero Latency yet", and reported that setup at the Docklands site took one day, compared with several days or weeks for previous systems.[24]
For the 2015 venue, the company told Hypergrid Business that it made the 400 square meter arena feel larger in VR by reusing the space "with some nifty tricks we have developed".[3] In its Warhammer coverage, Road to VR cited a cable car in Far Cry VR as an example of how the company's games move players through virtual space while they stay in a single physical room.[16]
Business model
Zero Latency calls its arrangement with venue partners a "flexible licensing model (not a traditional franchise)". According to its licensing FAQ, a system starts at US$165,000, and partners then choose between a 16% revenue share of ticket sales, pay-per-play or a fixed monthly fee. A six-player arena needs 98 square meters (1,055 square feet) and an eight-player arena 128 square meters (1,378 square feet), plus space for a server room, equipment storage, briefing and reception. Sessions run 15 to 30 minutes for up to eight players.[4]
The company reported more than 150 venues in 30 countries in February 2026,[5] and UploadVR repeated the same figure in March 2026, while Road to VR's report on the Cyberpunk 2077 announcement gave 140 or more locations.[20][19] In August 2026 the company published The state of location-based VR 2026, a consumer study commissioned from the agency Glow, which surveyed 2,386 participants in the United States, Canada, Australia, France and Spain.[6]
Games
| Title | Partner | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zombie Fort: Smackdown | In-house | 2013 demo | Inversion Project demonstration[8] |
| Sol Raiders | In-house | February 2019 | Four versus four player-versus-player game on three maps[11] |
| Far Cry VR: Dive into Insanity | Ubisoft | 10 June 2021 | Up to eight players, about 30 minutes[13] |
| Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine VR - Defenders of Avarax | Games Workshop | 25 September 2024 | Up to eight players[17] |
| Cyberpunk 2077 experience | CD Projekt Red | Announced March 2026, no release date given | Co-operative, self-contained experience[19] |
| Jumanji: The Lost Levels | Sony Pictures | Scheduled for 4 December 2026 | First fully hand-tracked Zero Latency game[18] |
UploadVR's 2022 report also listed Undead Arena and Singularity among the experiences offered at the time.[23]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dominic Powell (2017-06-14). "Zero Latency co-founder Tim Ruse on how he turned a "hobby" into a $12 million virtual reality business, and the unexpected pressures of success". SmartCompany. https://www.smartcompany.com.au/entrepreneurs/zero-latency-co-founder-tim-ruse-turned-hobby-12-million-virtual-reality-business-unexpected-pressures-success/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "About Zero Latency VR". Zero Latency VR. https://invest.zerolatencyvr.com/about-us. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Maria Korolov (2015-08-15). "Australia's Zero Latency opens first VR arena". Hypergrid Business. https://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2015/08/australias-zero-latency-opens-first-vr-arena/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "VR Licensing FAQ". Zero Latency VR. https://invest.zerolatencyvr.com/zero-latency-vr-faq. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Zero Latency VR Unlocks the World of Jumanji in Immersive VR". Zero Latency VR. 2026-02-02. https://invest.zerolatencyvr.com/news-and-events/zero-latency-vr-unlocks-the-world-of-jumanji-in-immersive-vr. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Rebecca Hardy (2026-08-24). "Zero Latency report spotlights proven demand for location-based VR". blooloop. https://blooloop.com/zero-latency-vr-2026-report/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "New funding for Zero Latency VR". Amusements and Attractions. 2021-08-12. https://www.amusementsandattractions.com/attractions/news/new-funding-for-zero-latency-vr. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ben Lang (2013-09-24). "Inversion Project: Low Cost 'Pop-up' VR Environment, Zombie Game Demo Video". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/inversion-project-low-cost-pop-up-virtual-reality-zombie-demo-video/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Dominic Brennan (2016-12-07). "Zero Latency Raises $7M for Expansion of 'Warehouse Scale' VR Tech". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/zero-latency-7-million-investment-expansion-warehouse-scale-vr-tech/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Jackie Dove (2015-08-16). "Huge virtual reality entertainment center debuts in Australia". The Next Web. https://thenextweb.com/news/huge-virtual-reality-entertainment-center-debuts-in-australia. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ben Lang (2019-02-07). "Zero Latency's Next Title is Tackling the Challenges of Location-based PVP". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/zero-latency-sol-raiders-tackling-challenges-vr-location-based-pvp/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Ben Lang (2019-03-14). "Zero Latency Upgrades VR Attraction Platform With Hardware From Microsoft & HP". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/zero-latency-gen-2-platform-hardware-upgrade-microsoft-hp/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Ben Lang (2021-06-01). "Ubisoft Launches 'Far Cry VR' Eight-player VR Arcade Experience, Trailer Here". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/ubisoft-far-cry-vr-announcement-zero-latency/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ Saqib Shah (2021-06-01). "Far Cry comes to Zero Latency's VR arcades". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/far-cry-vr-zero-latency-131026387.html. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ "Advent Partners invests in Aussie-based, international virtual reality powerhouse". Advent Partners. 2021-08-11. https://advent.com.au/advent-partners-invests-in-aussie-based-international-virtual-reality-powerhouse/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Scott Hayden (2022-09-27). "'Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine' is Getting a Location-based VR Game Next Year". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/warhammer-40k-vr-zero-latency-release/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine VR - Defenders of Avarax Now Available at Zero Latency VR Venues Worldwide". PR Newswire. Zero Latency VR. 2024-09-25. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/warhammer-40-000-space-marine-vr---defenders-of-avarax-now-available-at-zero-latency-vr-venues-worldwide-302256399.html. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Charlotte Blanco Coates (2026-08-20). "Zero Latency VR announces date for Jumanji: The Lost Levels". blooloop. https://blooloop.com/zero-latency-vr-jumanji/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Scott Hayden (2026-03-31). "'Cyberpunk 2077' is Officially Coming to VR Soon as a Co-op Location-based Experience". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/cyberpunk-2077-vr-arcade-zero-latency-release/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 James Tocchio (2026-03-31). "Cyberpunk 2077 Experience Coming To Zero Latency VR Locations". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/cyberpunk-2077-experience-coming-to-zero-latency-vr-locations/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Ben Lang (2022-05-19). "VR Attraction Zero Latency Ditches Backpack PCs in Favor of Vive Focus 3 & Wireless Rendering". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/vr-attraction-zero-latency-ditches-backpack-pcs-in-favor-of-vive-focus-3-wireless-rendering/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Zero Latency Pushes Immersive Entertainment Industry Forward with Next Generation Platform Release, Available Globally Now". Zero Latency VR. 2022-05-19. https://invest.zerolatencyvr.com/news-and-events/next-gen-launch-announcement. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 David Heaney (2022-05-20). "Zero Latency Replaces Backpack PCs By Streaming To Vive Focus 3". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/zero-latency-vive-focus-3-streaming/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.
- ↑ Harry Baker (2022-06-07). "Hands-On: Zero Latency Sees Big Improvements With New Wireless System". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/hands-on-zero-latency-wireless/. Retrieved 2026-10-04.