Sandbox VR, home to premium location-based virtual reality experiences, announced plans to open 280 new franchise locations in the next four years. This announcement comes on the heels of opening its 50th store on August 15. Located on the Gold Coast, the new location is the first Sandbox VR in Australia, expanding its global presence to four continents and nine countries.
Since opening its first store in Hong Kong in 2017, Sandbox VR has rapidly grown its global footprint with corporate-owned locations and a robust franchising program. In 2023, the company topped 1.2 million tickets sold and has seen a 33% year-over-year increase in 2024 ticket sales. Sandbox VR’s corporate locations — 37 in total — hit a revenue milestone with an average store topping $1.9 million annually.
Sandbox VR’s franchise program launched in 2019 for international markets and opened up for U.S. territories in April of this year. In those four months, 33% of available Sandbox VR U.S. franchise territories have been claimed by new and existing franchise partners. Limited opportunities for prime locations and territory exclusivity are still available in the U.S.
“When I started building Sandbox VR, I set out to build the future of entertainment. I never would have succeeded without the right team of people helping me build the world’s most immersive experiences using bleeding edge virtual reality technology,” said Steve Zhao, CEO and founder of Sandbox VR. “As we set our sights on expanding globally, we know it’s critical to work with the right partners. We are thrilled to announce the 50th Sandbox VR location in collaboration with our franchise partners, Bao Phung and Keith Le, and look forward to working with passionate franchise partners from around the globe to open hundreds more in the next four years.”
Sandbox VR builds immersive experiences using proprietary virtual reality technology. Its patented motion-tracking system, which captures the movements of a player’s entire body, combines with high-quality haptics to provide players with unprecedented realism and complete immersion that’s not possible with home VR or other location-based VR platforms. Guests’ bodies act as their game controllers; they just step into the virtual world and participate in the action unfolding all around them.
All Sandbox VR experiences — eight in total — are developed by in-house AAA gaming studios in Hong Kong and Vancouver, led by game industry veterans and are specifically designed for groups to play as social experiences. Teams of up to six freely roam and explore virtual worlds together, while relying on each other to succeed.
