Star Trek: Discovery Away Team Trailer, Poster Released

Star Trek: Discovery is headed into virtual reality. Sandbox VR this year will introduce the first Star Trek Holodeck VR experience based on Star Trek: Discovery. Titled Star Trek: Discovery Away Mission, the experience is directed by Michael Hampden and is a free-roaming experience set to launch in Sandbox VR’s Hong Kong and San Francisco Bay area locations in the fall, with worldwide availability to follow by early 2020. The company is planning a rollout across the United States with locations coming in late 2019 to Los Angeles, NYC, Austin, San Diego, Chicago, and more.

“As a lifelong Star Trek fan it’s been an incredible privilege partnering with CBS to bring fans the most authentic Star Trek experience possible,” said Michael Hampden, Creative Director and Head of Experiences at Sandbox VR. “Every detail has been hand crafted in such a way that when you first step on to a transporter pad with your own two feet, you’ll feel more immersed in the world of Star Trek than ever before.”

According to StarTrek.com, “Through leveraging full-body motion capture technology, Sandbox VR’s mission is to expand the possibilities of human experience through immersive technology by bringing the world’s most advanced holodeck to every neighborhood. Sandbox VR worked closely with Star Trek writers and stakeholders to ensure the most authentic experience possible for old and new fans alike. The game allows players to portray a member of the Discovery crew embarking on an away mission adventure. Players will use a tricorder, fire a phaser rifle, be transported to an alien planet, and go to warp on the U.S.S. Discovery.”

Star Trek: Discovery Away Mission allows up to 6 participants to enter the Star Trek universe, using phasers, tricorders, and even a holodeck. According to Variety, the experience is guided by Star Trek Discovery star Mary Wiseman in her role as Starfleet Ensign Sylvia Tilly from the CBS All Access series. The experience is to last for close to 30 minutes with some combat situations, but Hampden said that it would focus more on problem-solving than typical shooter situations. “We are trying to recreate the Star Trek experience,” he said.

This isn’t Star Trek‘s first foray into virtual reality. Star Trek: Bridge Crew, the virtual reality action-adventure game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubisoft, was released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation VR in 2017. The game later added non-VR support and Star Trek: The Next Generation themed expansion.

Are you excited about Star Trek: Discovery Away Team? Let us know in the comments.