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A virtual reality roller coaster is a roller coaster that gives riders the option of wearing a virtual reality headset during the ride. Many companies provide these headsets, such as the Mack-operated company VRCoaster and Samsung. A virtual reality coaster can either be retrofitted with headsets many years after it opens, or it can be built from the ground up to use virtual reality.
History
The first known virtual reality roller coaster was Galaxie Express in Germany. This short-lived roller coaster opened in 2003 and had individual monitors which lowered over rider's heads.
In 2016, Six Flags added virtual reality to roller coasters across many of their parks.
Experience
Riders wear a headset which displays a computer-generated video that is synchronised with the movement of the roller coaster.
Examples of virtual reality roller coasters
| Class | Name | Manufacturer | Coaster type | Park | Opened | VR added | Company/Headset type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powered | Alpenexpress "Enzian" | Mack Rides | Sit-Down | Europa-Park | April 26, 2024 | September 2015* | VRCoaster | Upcharge |
| Roller | Galactica | Bolliger & Mabillard | Flying | Alton Towers | 16 March 2002 | 24 March 2016 (VR removed in 2018) |
Pico Headset | Free |
| Roller | Dare Devil Dive | Gerstlauer | Sit-Down | Six Flags Over Georgia | 2011 | March 2016 (VR removed in 2017) |
Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | New Revolution | Schwarzkopf | Sit-Down | Six Flags Magic Mountain | 1976 | 21 April 2016 (VR removed in 2018) |
Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Superman The Ride | Intamin | Hyper | Six Flags New England | 2000 | 9 April 2016 (VR removed in 2017) |
Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Superman Krypton Coaster | Bolliger & Mabillard | Floorless | Six Flags Fiesta Texas | 2000 | 2016 (VR removed in 2016) |
Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Superman: Ride of Steel | Intamin | Hyper | Six Flags America | 1999 | June 2016 |
Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Steamin' Demon | Arrow Dynamics | Steel | Great Escape | 1984 | 2016 | Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Ninja | Arrow Dynamics | Steel | Six Flags St. Louis | April 1989 | 2016 | Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Goliath | Bolliger & Mabillard | Hyper | La Ronde | 2006 | 2016 | Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Powered | Galaxie Express | Mack Rides | Indoor | Space Center | 2003 | 2003 | N/A | Free |
| Roller | Shockwave | Schwarzkopf | Steel | Six Flags Over Texas | 22 April 1978 | 2016 | Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Mount Mara | Vekoma | Enclosed | Bobbejaanland | 1989 | 30 April 2016 | Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Pegasus | Mack Rides | Family | Europa-Park | 2006 | 2016 (VR removed for 2017) |
VRCoaster | Upcharge |
| Roller | Demon | Arrow Dynamics | Sit-Down | Six Flags Great America | 29 May 1976 | 13 August 2016 | Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Kong | Vekoma | Inverted | Six Flags Discovery Kingdom | 1998 | 24 September 2016 | Samsung Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Linnunrata eXtra | Zierer | Enclosed | Linnanmäki | 2000 | 2016 | Unknown | Free |
| Roller | Olandese Volante | Vekoma | Sit-Down | Rainbow MagicLand | 2011 | 2016 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | Kraken Unleashed | Bolliger & Mabillard | Floorless | SeaWorld Orlando | 2000 | 16 June 2017 (VR removed in January 2018) |
Unknown | Free |
| Roller | Shaman | Vekoma | Sit-Down | Gardaland | 1985 | 2017 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | French Revolution | Vekoma | Sit-Down | Lotte World | 1989 | November 2016 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | Freedom Flyer | Vekoma | Inverted | Fun Spot America | 2013 | 2017 | VRCoaster | Free |
| Roller | Batman la Fuga | Bolliger & Mabillard | Inverted | Parque Warner Madrid | 2002 | 2017 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | Dæmonen | Bolliger & Mabillard | Floorless | Tivoli Gardens | 2004 | 2017 | Unknown | Upcharge |
| Roller | Iron Dragon | Arrow Dynamics | Suspended | Cedar Point | 11 June 1987 | June 2017 | Unknown | Free |
| Roller | Max Adventures Master Thai | Preston & Barbieri | Möbius | Mirabilandia | 2011 | 2017 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | Eurosat - CanCan Coaster | Mack Rides | Enclosed | Europa-Park | 1989 | 2018 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | The Great Lego Race | Mack Rides | Wild Mouse | Legoland Florida | 2011 | 2018 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | The Great Lego Race | Mack Rides | Wild Mouse | Legoland Malaysia | 2012 | 2018 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | The Great Lego Race | Mack Rides | Wild Mouse | Legoland Deutschland | 2002 | 2018 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roller | Big Apple Coaster | Togo | Sit-Down | New York, New York Hotel & Casino | 1997 | 7 February 2018 | Unknown | Upcharge |
| Roller | Young Star Coaster | Mack Rides | Family | Happy Valley | February 8, 2010 | Unknown | Unknown | Free |
| Roller | Wild West Mine Train | Zamperla | Family | Ocean Park | 1999 | Unknown | Gear VR | Free |
| Roller | Temple Of The Night Hawk | Vekoma | Enclosed | Phantasialand | April 1, 1988 | 2019 | Unknown | Unknown |
- VR was added to the original coaster on this date, this coaster was eventually removed and replaced with an idential coaster, which kept the vr.