Photos by Dylan Gonzales; edited by Cecilia Lopez | Marquez (left), his wife Allison Grays, (center) and Abraham Macias opened The Broken Controller in 2023 and hope to franchise in the next five years.

Over the past few years, technology has exponentially grown, with artificial intelligence (AI) being integrated into the workplace and social media.

One of the areas that has changed the most with technology is video games. Mainstream gaming systems such as Xbox, PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch have dominated video game culture over the better part of the last decade, with new releases pushing the boundaries of player immersion.

No matter how realistic those games become, when it comes to feeling immersed in a game, virtual reality (VR) stands alone.

Although virtual reality has become somewhat mainstream for gaming, different types have been used for decades. In 1989, Crystal River Engineering, a company working with NASA, developed the audio component of VIEW (Virtual Environment Workstation Project), a VR-based training simulator for astronauts.

Since then, virtual reality has skyrocketed in popularity. In 2010, a prototype headset of Oculus Rift, arguably the most popular VR system, became available for testing.

Now 15 years later, The Broken Controller, a local VR arcade, is experiencing firsthand how much VR is still growing.

The arcade, located at Campus Pointe near Fresno State, opened in 2023 under the ownership of husband-and-wife Marquez and Allison Grays, and their partner Abraham Macias.

Marquez believes the main difference between VR games and traditional gaming is that there is always a small sense of disconnection when holding a controller compared to wearing a headset, which brings the player into the action.

“VR is less of a video game and more of taking you to another place and having an experience that you physically couldn’t have in real life,” Marquez said. “There’s a bit of a disconnect when you’re holding a controller. VR can feel like you’re genuinely there. And my favorite part of that is taking off a customer’s headset and realizing where they are.”

While The Broken Controller is the only VR-focused arcade in Fresno, Dave and Busters also offers VR games for guests to play.

In addition to Dave and Busters VR games, such as Godzilla, they debuted The Arena earlier this year, which offers players a 360-degree gaming experience with interactive digital walls and floors, similar to VR.

CleVR Escape in Visalia is similar to The Broken Controller in that it offers VR and escape rooms. However, the escape rooms at CleVR Escape are live.

Another husband-and-wife duo, David and Katie McAllister, opened the Visalia store in 2021. CleVR Escape features popular and more traditional VR games like Beat Saber and Fruit Ninja.

Marquez and Allison attribute much of their success at Broken Controller to the fandom of the games guests can play in their store.

“I want to play these games as much as my customers want to play,” Marquez said.

Allison added, “When we get a new game, we’re like, ‘Oh, yeah. Let’s try it.”

Part of this excitement comes from The Broken Controller working directly with the companies that make the games. While this is a significant advantage most of the time, they mentioned there are times when a game has a few glitches.

Two of The Broken Controller’s most popular attractions are the new VR escape room and a racing simulator, which Allison described as “the closest thing you can get to driving a car without actually being in one.”

The two also emphasized The Broken Controllers’ affordability relative to their industry, mentioning that their customers are most often Fresno State students.

“We really just wanted to make sure that we were a place that kids, teenagers and families could come and do something entertainment-wise that was affordable and not just sitting at home playing video games or just sitting down eating,” Allison said.

Marquez added that VR involves some exercise, with the player often moving around in their surroundings.

In the future, Marquez said that they eventually want to expand to multiple locations and double the space of their existing one within five years. However, he added that “perfecting” the current location is the No. 1 priority.