Amusement arcades are to gamers what dojos are to martial artists. While the cacophonous sensory assault of an arcade isn’t for everybody, it’s where people like you and me—i.e., people who crave stimulation, competition, and deep social connections—can be our true selves. So it’s kind of a bummer that most of us spend the majority of our gaming time alone in our homes.For that reason, we’re excited to be writing about Arcade Online, an ingenious platform that lets you play arcade games through your phone or PC. And not just digital arcade games, but real ones, 24/7. Developer ArcadeXR has come up with a technological solution that sees you controlling real, physical arcade machines remotely.Instead of watching virtual objects moving around within a game engine, you’re watching real objects moving within the physical universe—just through the screen of your PC or mobile device.
We’ve tried it, and the result is excitingly impressive. There’s just something about knowing that your actions have initiated a physical event unfolding before your eyes.