LANSING, N.Y. — A new 4,000-square-foot family entertainment center is bringing immersive, virtual-reality gaming to the Ithaca area.
Located in the Cayuga Shopping Center at 2309 Triphammer Road, ReviveZone features free-roam immersive games from the technology company Zero Latency VR. ReviveZone features two golf stimulator bays and a game lounge. Owned by Ithaca College graduates Steven Cox and Elijah Greene, ReviveZone opened its doors with a soft launch on July 1. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting is scheduled for July 17.
Cox said that the idea for ReviveZone came after a friend’s bachelor party was dampened by rain. Scrapping plans for paintball, the party ended up at a virtual reality gaming center in Syracuse. By the end of the game, the group was “drenched in sweat because we were so immersed in that world,” Cox said.
Seeing the need for something similar in Ithaca, Cox “felt the fire” to bring immersive gaming to the area. Cox and Greene consulted with Brad Treat, an entrepreneur and educator who teaches at Ithaca College and Cornell University.
“[Treat] has made a huge difference in this,” said Cox. “Without his mentorship, and a lot of other people, this wouldn’t have been possible.”
From golf to surviving zombies
Cox said ReviveZone is a place for gamers and golfers of all ages.
Zero Latency VR is for players age 13 and up, playing alone or in groups. Cox said a fan-favorite game is Outbreak, where players must escape zombies while searching for a cure to a virus.
For younger gamers, there’s child-friendly Engineerium, which doesn’t involve any controllers and which Cox described as “a little bit more like discovering a new world.”
Zero Latency VR will release the new Jumanji game towards the end of the year, while Cyberpunk will be released in 2027.
For golfers looking to take their game inside during the long winter, Revive Zone has two TruGolf stimulator bays featuring over 15,000 courses from around the world, including local greens Hillendale, Newman, Robert Trent Jones, and more. ReviveZone also plans to expand into a multi-sport attraction with indoor bowling, baseball and basketball.
“It’s our desire to have a premium guest experience,” he said.
ReviveZone offers varying membership and single-play options, and hosts parties and team building events. Upcoming special events include a ReviveKids fundraising event on August 21. For every $25 RVSP, ReviveZone will send one child to school with a new book bag, notebook, pencil, and new clothes. Cox said he is proud that ReviveZone aims to pay employees a living wage based on salary and commission.
“We don’t see this as a solo endeavor in any way,” said Cox. “We believe that this business is a collaboration with the community.”
Virtual reality headsets at ReviveZone.
ReviveZone ping pong.
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