Sandbox VR — Attraction in Tysons

We visited Sandbox VR Tysons Corner on August 31st at 10:15 pm and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience.

From the moment we walked in, my group felt rushed. While we were signing waivers on the iPads, the employee at the front kept telling my group members to go downstairs even though I had explained we wanted to all go down together since we had minors with us.

When we got downstairs, we were met by another employee who also seemed to be rushing us. There were seven of us in total, with five playing (including my 12-year-old daughter, 16-year-old niece, 19-year-old nephew, and two nieces in their 20s). My husband and I were observing while the group played Squid Games.

The employee began calling out names for gear, and when he called my 16-year-old niece, he couldn’t hear her response and said “speak up” in a tone that came off rude. Considering the environment is loud, a better approach would have been something like “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you, could you repeat that?”

Next, as they were gearing up, I noticed he did not provide the vests that are normally part of the VR experience. Having done this before, I knew the vests are a big part of the immersion. When I asked, the employee told me the vests were short-circuiting and followed it with “they don’t make a difference anyway.” That is not true — the vests do enhance the experience. He then said he could give them the vests but that we’d have to “take a chance” with them short-circuiting, which to me was unsafe and unacceptable and putting my family at risk.

I asked to speak with a manager and was told there was no manager available. The only resolution offered was a “20% discount on the next experience,” but I would have to pay for another session right then and there to use it. No coupon code, no credit for later. That makes no sense and does not fairly address the fact that we paid full price for an incomplete experience.

I tried calling to speak with a manager the next day but no one answered the phone.

On top of all of this, the game was lagging terribly. The VR blacked out on two of the players. You can hear in one of the videos received my daughter saying “My sound turned off. I can’t see anymore.”

Overall, the customer service was poor, my group felt rushed and dismissed, and the experience we paid for was not delivered. Sandbox VR should ensure guests receive what they pay for and that staff treat all customers — especially families with minors — with more courtesy and...

Revised review:

I want to express my gratitude for the exceptional customer service I received during my recent visit to Sandbox VR in Tysons. After my initial unsatisfactory experience, I was promptly contacted by Max, who went above and beyond to address my concerns and ensure that my second visit was significantly improved.

This time, I had the opportunity to play Rebel Moon, and I absolutely loved the immersive experience. Unlike my first visit, I was given the freedom to select a game of my choice, along with customizing my avatar and weapons. This personalized approach truly enhanced the overall experience.

However, I did notice that the sanitization of equipment, particularly the wristbands, could still be improved. Ensuring thorough cleaning would provide greater peace of mind for customers and elevate the experience further.

Thank you again for taking the time to make things right. I appreciate the effort and look forward to seeing continued improvements!

Original review: I was really disappointed with my first experience at Sandbox VR in Tysons. From the start, it felt rushed, and I didn’t get a chance to fully enjoy the experience. The staff was unwelcoming and seemed uninterested in providing a good experience. It was nothing like the high standards I’ve experienced with VR gaming internationally. I recently played in London, and the quality of both the equipment and the customer service were night and day—much more immersive and professional.

At Sandbox VR, the staff was rude, and the gearing-up session was uncomfortable, with one staff member using a condescending tone. There was also no visible sanitization of headsets or accessories, which felt unhygienic. The equipment itself was mediocre at best, and for $50 for just 30 minutes, it’s extremely overpriced. Honestly, I’d suggest investing in your own VR headset rather than wasting money here. Overall, a very disappointing and...

$171 for 3 for the Dungeon Crawler one. Got a call and 3 emails telling me to show up early (all stated different time frames), which we did by 30 minutes. Had to sign a waiver then stand around. Had to actually find a worker near the start time for them to remember we were there at all. Start time was at 10 didn't start til 10:20, which was mildly bothersome since they seemed strict about being there 5 minutes early from the emails but that's not a huge deal to be honest. The worker gave no instructions on how to put on the wrist and leg straps, especially considering there were children in the party it would've been helpful instead of figuring it out ourselves - again mildly bothersome but not a huge deal overall.

Our game was also cut short because of time, we didn't get to fight the dragon at the top of the tower but got past the elevator with all of us alive - which was really annoying actually. Never said anything out loud because the workers seemed annoyed and in a huge rush in general from the start and I didn't want to add any negative emotions there because if I pointed anything out it clearly would've become and argument and then there's just no point since the experience was already negative from the start.

Overall really poor experience not worth the crazy amount of money at all. This is more like a $20 per person experience not a $50 one.

They also didn't share the photos/videos/stat sheet that was supposed to be a part of the experience in the first place. The game itself was okay, standard VR experience, would highly recommend any place cheaper (or VR at home) as the service here is not worth it and they don't give any of the promised memorabilia like the videos/photos that they mention in the purchase. The VR game itself is alright, enjoyable but the $50 price tag doesn't match the 15/20 minute game experience. Definitely a...