Star Wars multiplayer VR experience hitting Disney theme parks this year

You could jump into your wookie onesie, pull the armchair right up close to your TV and put all eight films on repeat, but you're still going to be light years away from really feeling like you're living in the Star Wars universe.

Disney thinks it can go better than cosplaying in front of a projector – it's signed a deal to bring an all-new Star Wars VR experience to its theme parks before the end of the year.

Called Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, it's set to be a large scale multiplayer VR adventure, put together by The Void – the company also responsible for the Madame Tussauds Ghostbusters experience – and ILMxLab, Lucasfilm's immersive entertainment arm.

Bringing a galaxy far, far away to Disneyland

“We want people to step inside the worlds of our stories,” said ILMxLab’s exec Vicki Dobbs Beck. 

“Through our collaboration with The Void, we can make this happen as guests become active participants in an unfolding ‘Star Wars’ adventure.”

The Disneyland Resorts in Southern California and Orlando Florida will house the new VR centers. It's a growing area for amusement destinations, particularly cinemas who are seeing a slump in 3D movie interest, and are looking to sure up their profits.

If you can't make it to the US theme parks, you can still bring a slice of Star Wars VR magic home – PC virtual reality enthusiasts can jump into the 'Trials on Tatooine' app, while PlayStation 4 PSVR players can fly an X-Wing in Battlefront's virtual reality segment.

  • We're still holding out hope to see a new VR component for Battlefront 2, too
Gerald Lynch

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.