‘It’s insane’: A local business launches one-of-a-kind virtual reality arcade in Meridian
A new 10,000-square-foot virtual reality arcade is hoping to fill the gap that Grinkers and Spacebar Arcade have left in the Boise area’s gaming community. And to provide something totally original.
“It’s the newest, greatest thing,” Brendan Smythe, owner of the new VR1 Arcade that just opened off of Eagle Road in Meridian, told the Idaho Statesman. “It’s the most futuristic arcade in the United States. There’s nothing like it.”
The arcade features a virtual reality arena for esports, short for electronic sports, as well 24 virtual reality stations and an arcade section with custom-designed arcade cabinets and gaming PCs. The cabinets, Smythe said, can play roughly 100 games and have access to thousands on request — anything from 1980s classics like Ms. Pac-Man to modern favorites like Fortnite and Call of Duty. Up to 84 people can play in the arcade at once. Others can enjoy the arcade’s restaurant and bar between games.
It took four months to transform the former Furniture Outfitters building at the northwest corner of Eagle and Franklin roads into the gaming destination it is now, Smythe said.
Since opening on Dec. 20 ahead of schedule, Smythe said, the arcade has been well-received.
“People kind of stand there in awe when they walk in,” he said. “It’s insane.”
Smythe estimates that guests stay an average of four to five hours when they come to VR1, from what he’s seen so far. He attributes this in part to the arcade’s “Disneyland”-like day pass system. Instead of having to pay for individual games or to use different parts of the arcade, guests pay $30 for a day pass and then can play any games they want.
Smythe said that “instead of limiting your time spent at the arcade,” staff help moderate how much time guests spend on individual devices, “so that everybody does have a chance to try something.”
Local spot with ‘out-of-this-world’ feel
What some people don’t realize is the company’s deep roots in the Treasure Valley, Smthye said.
“Doesn’t really look like it, but we’re a local company,” he joked, noting that the arcade is the largest virtual reality one in the country to his knowledge and that he hopes to expand nationally in the future.
Smythe, an Eagle native, opened his first virtual reality arcade in 2016 in Eagle after dropping out of Boise State University. It was only the third virtual reality arcade in the country at the time, he said.
He then opened two more, one in Boise and one in Meridian, all significantly smaller than the new consolidated arcade not far from The Village at Meridian. The preexisting locations closed for the new venture.
Smythe also pointed out that the arcade’s 12 custom cabinets were designed by Steele Stone, a Micron engineer, and cannot be found anywhere else. Stone also owns Arcade Paradise, a Meridian-based mobile arcade truck that can be rented for birthday parties and other events.
Smythe said he wanted to create a space where kids could game “in a community-based environment, where they can meet friends, hang out, interact in the real world, and enjoy their games that they love at home.”
Adults enjoy the space, too. The restaurant, for example, serves up traditional American bar eats like burgers, and guests over 21 can imbibe wine, beer, and canned cocktails. Smythe said he has considered having certain operating hours be specifically designated 21+ to appeal to an adult crowd, though for now, VR1’s operating hours are open for all ages.
The arcade is located at 3131 E. Lanark St.
This story was originally published January 13, 2025 at 2:38 PM.
