Ctrl V

Ctrl V

Ctrl V is a virtual reality arcade chain that opened its first location in Waterloo, Ontario in June 2016, which it describes as Canada's first VR arcade. Head office remains in Waterloo.

Customers book a VR station by the hour, online and paid in advance. Each station has an HTC Vive headset, foam safety mats and a monitor mirroring the player's view, and locations run between 8 and 18 stations. Beyond walk-in gaming, revenue comes from birthday parties combining an hour of VR with a private party room, corporate events and team building, school trips, educational VR programs and escape rooms.

The concept runs on proprietary software the company calls the Ctrl Suite, including a multiplayer interface that lets players switch games mid-session, an online booking system and a customer portal.

Territories are defined by postal code and sized at roughly 200,000 people for every 16 VR stations. Training is a two-week intensive program at the Waterloo flagship, classroom in the mornings and practical arcade work in the afternoons, with a pass mark of 90 percent, followed by a three-day refresher before opening. Support includes weekly business coaching, technical support, field audits and a franchise advisory council.