PortAventura World Presents XR “Paranormal” Experience
Image: Courtesy of PortAventura World
(eap) The Spanish theme park resort PortAventura World (located around 100 kilometers south of Barcelona) will be offering its first mixed reality (XR)- experience from 19 August next week: “Hysteria in Boothill”. Located in PortAventura Park’s “Far West”-themed area, small groups of up to six people per session will be able to take part in a “paranormal adventure” that combines actual reality with virtual elements... Guests will wear “Meta Quest 3” headsets, which are also suitable for mixed-reality experiences. Guided by the medium “Madame Bladsky”, they go on a search for the bodies of the “McGregor family”, who – according to the storyline – disappeared about a decade ago in the village of Penitence. In a completely themed experience zone covering some 200 square meters, they will move around the actual surroundings but also be able to see and interact with some virtually appearing characters such as supernatural creatures… thanks to the data headsets. To take part in this spooky experience in extended reality, the park has set a minimum age of twelve years – up to 14 years only accompanied by an adult. The new experience, which will be available in Catalan, Spanish, French and English, has been developed in collaboration with the Spanish company Spatial Voyagers.
“With this premiere, PortAventura World reaffirms its commitment to innovation and entertainment, offering visitors unique and unforgettable experiences. With Hysteria in Boothill, the resort goes a step further in the integration of advanced technologies, as it is an immersive experience that uses cutting-edge technology, with the aim of offering a surreal experience full of paranormal phenomena,” explains Andreu Tobella Brunet, Digital Director der PortAventura World.
Edgar Martín-Blas Méndez, CEO of Spatial Voyagers, describes: “The challenge set by PortAventura was quite big, as the real-virtual dimension onto which this experience is projected has never been realized before. On the one hand, the technical part, to give the user the feeling that the virtual elements are almost physically present, and on the other hand, the narrative part, so that everything makes sense and creates a feeling of constant surprise. We are very excited about this collaboration and what it will mean for the future of entertainment.” ■
