RecRoomWorld VPcabs — Local services in Jackson Township

UPDATED REVIEW: I do NOT recommend the Ultra VP pinball machine, nor Rec Room World.

My original review was positive, but that has changed as issues have come up. A couple years ago I was looking for a prebuilt virtual pinball machine and I looked at all the options out there. The main reason I went with Rec Room World is I thought I was (1) getting a quality machine and (2) going to get good service if there were any issues with the machine.

It took about a month or so to get my new Ultra VP and out of the box I was very happy. I soon joined a few Facebook groups that are specifically for virtual pinball. There’s general chat and a couple of friendly competition leagues, where everyone is super friendly. Being in these groups you also start hearing about other peoples machines and issues that come up.

My first issue came in the form of a broken fan. So I put in a support ticket with Rec Room World and they send out a new once right away, easy fix. That said, I did have to put it in myself. If you are not comfortable with that, you will need to hire someone to help you, meaning more cost.

The next issue is one all Ultra VP owners have dealt with. RRW has promised software updates which would include hundreds of new tables and software fixes. It has been YEARS with ZERO software updates. Luckily there are community members that dedicate hours and hours of their time to provide much better software. The difference between their’s and RRW's is staggering. In a way, RRW’s failure to deliver is a blessing, because what I have now is s much better.

But wait there’s more…

My machine also has problems with static electricity causing it to short out (see attached video). And I’m not alone, there are quite a few others with the same issue. So I started a new support ticket with Rec Room World to fix it.

Sadly, instead of working with me and others that have this issue, Rec Room World just denied there is an issue. Per RRW, "I was told from our factory late last night was that the side rails are insulated due to the powder coating." That’s nice, but clearly they are NOT grounded properly, look at my video again.

Then I got, “With all due respect, sir rec room world cannot be responsible for the amount of moisture and air quality in your own home or anyone else’s. It is up to you, the homeowner to mitigate the dry air and the static electricity that you produce in your own home..."

Wow, what a load of (bleep). I live in the desert, static electricity is a constant. I can zap any other properly grounded electronic device in my home with no issues… I just zapped my laptop as I’m typing this and nope, nothing happened because it’s properly grounded.

So after that exchange for support, I went to the Facebook groups where I found out I’m not the only person with this issue. That’s also when I found out this issue has damaged other machines, knock on wood mine hasn’t been damaged.

After my post on Facebook, magically, Roland the RRW owner called and was now concerned. “We take this very seriously and we will work with our engineers to make sure this doesn’t happen in the future.” Ok, what about fixing my machine and others that have the same issue? Sorry can’t help, but he said I could open up the machine and run ground wires from the side rails myself. I would need to make sure the paint is scratched off though so there is sufficient contact. Of course you’ll want to test the fix with multimeter to make sure it’s now grounded correctly. That’s it, no proper instructions, no how to video, no wires, tools, NO NOTHING.

I’m mechanically inclined enough to understand and should be able to do the fix myself (with moderate trepidation). However, the whole point of me paying Rec Room World their premium is not to have to this.

So I ask you, after reading this and knowing that Rec Room World will NOT help you with any major issues, are you still willing to spend the $10K+ premium on the Ultra VP from Rec Room World? Especially if you can buy almost the identical machine for...

I typically do not take time to leave reviews of products purchased online, but I feel compelled in this case for two reasons:

1. When thinking about the purchase decision, I reached out with questions. They not only responded in a timely fashion, but were extremely helpful and did not "pressure" me into making a purchase. They were even available by phone and spoke with me for a while about the machine, answering all of my questions.

2. The machine is everything they promised and more. This thing is insane! I had a home-built cabinet system previously and am embarrassed by the effort in retrospect. This machine is absolutely gorgeous. The wrap is beautiful. Construction is impeccable. It is very apparent that they take a lot of pride in their workmanship and craftsmanship. The machine is built like a tank and the attention to detail both internally and externally is stellar. Aside from a difficult move given the weight of the machine (be sure to have a good friend, maybe two, available to help you move it, along with a dolly of some type), the setup was quick and easy, and the unit truly was plug-and-play. I turned it on, it started up, and I could play immediately without any additional tweaking or anything like that.

Ultimately, the machine is obviously pricy (but not crazy given other options that are out there), but if you are looking for the most authentic virtual pinball machine available that is loaded with features, this is it and it is worth every penny. There is no way I could pull together the same type of machine myself without arguably spending more money than this cost and there is no way I could ever hope to match the quality of this machine. Besides, a single mechanical pinball machine can cost just shy of what this machine cost and I have the ability to play hundreds of tables! (I think there are something like 1,200+ tables on the machine). If spending the money, I would also recommend the fourth display on top of the backglass (along with the beacons). It adds another dimension and simply looks cool.

Even after the purchase, RecRoomWorld has been very responsive to emails and inquiries (not that I have had many). They also communicate well via email to keep you updated on your purchase and the setup process. There are numerous videos available as well to assist with the setup and answer questions. I currently have V7 and cannot imagine what they could possibly do in V8 to make this machine even better. At some point, maybe there will be a virtual hologram thing to truly replicate a 3D playing surface? (One can dream.)

So, to summarize, if you are a fan of pinball, want the ability to play virtually any table ever created, and can get used to the lack of a true 3-dimensional playfield, this is the machine to buy. Rest assured, you will not be disappointed. They even include a video jukebox and some "old school" video games as well. The machine exceeded my expectations and I could not be happier with the purchase. (Yes, it is pricy, but definitely worth every cent.)

I was going to say how well the unit was crated (and had some additional feedback), but it keeps telling me I am out of space. Check out the other reviews... They are accurate in singing the praises of this machine. I am beyond pleased with...

Review after owning my Ultra VP 7.0 for about 1 year now. I wanted to wait to write a review after having a good amount of time with VP so I could write an in depth review.

First off - I won’t bury the lead, from the buying process, to design, to delivery and ease of set up, to the hours of endless family fun that we’ve had with the it - makes the Ultra VP worth every penny of the investment and then some!

Initial Process circa 2023: I was a long time real world pinball fan (owned a Data East Baywatch machine back in college) who had started to enjoy virtual pinball by playing legacy console titles on PS4/5, Switch etc. I knew that I wanted a full cab, but didn’t want to be restricted by just one game. After a ton of research and reviews - I decided I wanted to invest a VP Cab to have the feel of a real world table but not deal with issues like constant maintenance or be restricted to just one table. Let me just say the customer service and consultation from Roland and Tony throughout that initial process were AMAZING and white glove all the way. The design team helped design a custom cab based off my own preferences (although they have a HUGE library of existing artwork to choose from out of the box), answered every question I had about how to work the cab, games/tables, set up, unboxing. The whole process from design to getting my cab and starting to play was incredibly easy. Their handy tutorials and guides answered any questions I had, so everything was up and running in no time.

Performance: Simply put - it’s amazing. I have friends who come over and are marveled by how incredible it looks and are even more impressed by how it plays. This from people who have only ever known true mechanical tables (one friend even bought his own VP 7.5 recently after seeing it). It’s great for parties - and also great for family fun nights. Pinball tournaments amongst the family has become common tradition here and everyone is always looking to top the leaderboard. In the world of you get what you pay for - they deliver on every promise. The extra bonuses like having a jukebox, or playing some classic arcade games, are the cherry on top. As for customer service - I know the team is always responsive and there if needed, but I have had ZERO issues over the past year - unless you count my kids arguing about who has the next crack at picking their table of choice - so I’ve never had a need to reach out for help.

In summary, if you’re on the fence about making a decision, I can honestly say, don’t be. If you love pinball, are looking for something that gives you variety of tables, a real world feel, with tons of options to customize to your own taste - you can’t go wrong. So a huge THANK YOU to Rec Room World team for everything you do and providing an amazing product that has brought lots of joy into our home! Hope this review helps anyone...