Gaming today offers a barrage of options, whether in terms of PCs, smartphones, TV consoles, or VR machines. I have always been excited about them, especially about the ones with respect to cars. Therefore, when given an opportunity to participate in a VR racing championship at Microgravity Gurgaon in December 2021, I just couldn’t hold back and landed up on a Sunday.
Located on MG Road, Microgravity is extremely convenient for residents of Gurugram and South Delhi. I had a fair distance to cover while driving from East Delhi, but less traffic and the winter chill made it worth it.
The Arena
I entered JMD Square mall and found Microgravity on the 1st floor. First-timers to this mall may find the area to be barren, with very few functioning offices. For a few minutes I was unsure if I had entered the correct area or not, but speaking to the security guard at the mall security desk made me confident. Gamers who drive will not have a problem parking their vehicles as there is ample space in the basement.
The gaming arena is a reasonably large space with plenty of gaming machinery visible from the outside. As soon as you enter, you will find a small café-like arrangement with non-alcoholic beverages and knick-knacks. The VR racing championship was for INR 999, though I could get some practice before the race by paying extra, which I did.
Racing Equipment
I had to climb a little to get into the gaming seat. The equipment consisted of a thick steering wheel, three pedals to the bottom, and a gear lever to the right side. Microgravity’s gaming executive explained the game and its controls patiently. The console was using Project Cars for this championship, which I had not played before on my Xbox One. While looking at the game and the equipment I could just sense how real the race feeling would be and was raring to do it after clearing my doubts.
Three screens next to each other made it a highly involving experience. I could see the grass and the cars on the left while trying to make an overtaking move! However, I must admit it does take a while to get adjusted to looking at all three screens. There were dotted lines on the virtual road to indicate the braking and the acceleration points (red for braking and green for acceleration). The best part was the setup learning forward while braking.
So far, I have only handled vibrating consoles on Xbox One but not these kinds of movements! The entire equipment leaned to the sides through turns. I was slowly finding out how my favorite racing heroes train themselves on state-of-the-art equipment- it felt good.
Aiming to Set the Best Lap
After a few laps, the aim was to set the best possible lap. This lap timing would be used to slot players into All-India ranking positions. Despite my best efforts, I managed to set the best time of only 1:12, which was a few seconds off the top three racers (only the top three were to qualify for the next level). Microgravity’s plan was to make the top three from North, East, West, and South zones compete against each other and then get the winners to participate in real cars! So near, yet so far.
The game was so much fun that I nearly forgot to call over my school friend whom I had promised to meet here! After finishing up with the game, I called him over. He too got excited, tried a few laps, and then we caught up on ‘real life at Dana Chogha, Gurgaon.
For my efforts, I got a Microgravity prepaid card with free currency to participate in games the next time I visit. And I’m waiting to do so real soon. Hope to see some of you there too!
