The UK gaming industry has posted record sales in 2017, with the growing popularity of virtual reality headsets proving a significant driver. With Gen Yers particularly drawn to the experiential advantages of the technology, VR gaming is becoming a more mainstream leisure pursuit.

Expensive headsets and a lack of mainstream exposure mean that virtual reality is still very much a niche interest in most countries. But in China, VR cafés run by Shenzhen-based start-up Emax are turning this emerging technology into everyday entertainment with a social side.

Although 2016 was touted to be the year of VR, with the likes of Sony and HTC launching powerful devices, the tech proved too expensive for mainstream audiences. Seeking to make virtual worlds more accessible is the Oculus Go, an affordable headset that doesn’t need a high-end computer to operate.

Billed as the world’s first VR entertainment facility, Melbourne-based Zero Latency gives visitors a truly immersive experience for a small price. It provides an alternative, accessible way for people to experience the tech, but can it convince consumers that VR has a place in the mainstream?