VR team day in the office vs a VR arcade visit
Two good ways to put a team in VR. Here is how they differ on cost, time, group size and engagement, and when each one is the right call.
Short verdict
For a group of 12–40 colleagues who should play as teams without losing half a day to travel, an in-office VR team day is usually the better fit: fixed format, one price per participant, a shared leaderboard and a results sheet afterwards. For a small group that wants a night out, the widest choice of commercial VR games or a free-roam arena, a VR arcade is the better choice. The two also combine well across a year of team events.
Disclosure: VR Express sells the VR team day. We have tried to be fair about where the arcade wins.
Side by side
| Criterion | VR team day in your office | VR arcade visit |
|---|---|---|
| Where it happens | In your office: a meeting room or open area with power and a screen. | At the venue. The team travels there and back. |
| Cost model | Per participant with a minimum per event; no venue fee, no transport. | Usually per person per hour or a group package, plus transport and often food and drinks at the venue. |
| Time it takes | Two to four hours in the office; fits into an afternoon. | Session time plus travel, often half a day or an evening. |
| Booking and lead time | Fixed formats, so a date can be confirmed after one short call. | Depends on venue availability; popular evenings book out in party season. |
| Game choice | Six games built for groups (shooting range, archery, climbing, space quiz, cybersecurity, warehouse). | Usually a much larger catalogue of commercial VR titles, sometimes free-roam arenas. |
| Team engagement | Teams score together on a live leaderboard in the room; people out of the headset stay involved. | Strong for the players in each booth; team scoring across games is usually not built in. |
| Measurement | Results sheet after the event: who played, rounds played, final team standings, one pulse question. | Usually none beyond in-game scores on the day. |
| Group size | Built for 8–40 per session; larger companies run several sessions in one day. | Limited by the number of booths; large groups wait or split across time slots. |
| Your brand or content | Optional quiz round about your own company. | Rarely possible; content is off the shelf. |
| Risks | Needs a suitable room; quality depends on the facilitators and on headset readiness on the day. | Travel and weather; venue noise and other guests; less control over the running order. |
Arcade column describes typical venues in general; individual venues differ.
When the VR arcade is the better choice
- Leaving the office is the point. If the event is meant as a night out with food and drinks, a venue gives you that atmosphere; an office meeting room does not.
- The group is small and loves games. Four to eight keen players get more variety and more playtime per person at an arcade.
- You want the big commercial titles or free-roam. Arcades license a wide catalogue and some have large free-roam arenas. Our team day uses a fixed set of games built for groups.
- There is no suitable room. If the office has no free space with power and a screen, the venue solves that for you.
When the in-office VR team day is the better choice
- The group is 12 to 40 people and you want everyone involved, including those who only play a round or two. Team scoring and a leaderboard on the room screen are part of every format.
- Time matters. No travel; the event fits into an afternoon and people are back at their desks or at the after-party in the same building.
- You need a predictable cost. One price per participant with a minimum, no venue fee and no transport.
- You want something to report. A results sheet with participation, rounds played and team standings, plus a one-question pulse.
- You want your company in it. An optional quiz round about your own business, values or products.
- You are an event agency. The team day can be sold under your brand at a partner rate; an arcade visit cannot be white-labelled.
For custom-built, branded VR experiences at a company event or a stand (rather than a fixed-format team day), see VR campaigns and brand activations. Past team events are in our project portfolio, for example the in-office VR happy hour for WPX.
Frequently asked questions
Is an in-office VR team day cheaper than a VR arcade?
It depends on the group and the venue. The team day is priced per participant with a minimum and has no venue or transport cost; an arcade is usually priced per person per hour or as a package, and you add transport and often food. For a small group that wants a night out, the arcade can cost less. For a larger group, or when work time spent travelling counts, the in-office day is usually easier to justify.
Which option is better for a large team?
For 20–40 people, the in-office team day is usually the easier fit, because the formats are built for teams rotating through stations while the rest follow a shared leaderboard. At an arcade, the number of booths sets the limit and large groups often wait or split into time slots.
When is a VR arcade the better choice?
When the team wants to leave the office and make it an evening out, when the group is small and loves gaming, when people want the newest commercial VR titles or a free-roam arena, or when there is no suitable room in the office.
Do people who don't want to wear a headset get bored?
That is the main difference in design. In the team day, people out of the headset follow the team leaderboard and support their team, so they stay part of the game. In an arcade, spectators usually just watch the booth.
Planning a team event for 8–40 people?
See the three formats, or tell us the date and headcount and we send a fixed price per participant.